House appropriators returning to Washington on Monday predicted that another short-term spending bill will be needed to avoid a government shutdown next week as budget negotiations have stalled amid a contentious fight over immigration.
“I do believe we’ll need another [continuing resolution], hopefully short-term,” Rep. Tom Cole
Thomas (Tom) Jeffrey ColeTrump rips Dems a day ahead of key White House meeting Ryan's office warning he wasn't part of deal on ObamaCare: source Overnight Finance: GOP to reduce tax relief by 0B to win over deficit hawks | Republicans eye two-week spending bill | Fed official urges caution on digital currency | Security of auditing system under scrutiny MORE (R-Okla.), an appropriations cardinal, told The Hill on Monday.
The government has been operating under a series of short-term extensions since the start of fiscal 2018, with the current continuing resolution (CR) set to expire on Jan. 19.
Lawmakers were optimistic before leaving town for the holidays last month that congressional leaders would be able to reach a bipartisan agreement on boosting budget caps, which are needed to avoid automatic spending cuts and lay the ground work for a massive omnibus package, by next Friday’s deadline.
But negotiations have hit a snag as President Trump
Donald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE has renewed calls that his proposed border wall be included in any deal over the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which Trump is ending in March. Democrats who are pushing to include protections for young immigrants in a spending bill say that a border wall is a non-starter for them.
The impasse on immigration has also stymied bipartisan work on budget caps. That means another stopgap bill is almost certain, according to lawmakers who write the spending bills, though appropriators are divided on how long they think it will be.
Cole predicted that the next CR will extend government funding until the recess break in mid-February.
“That’s just my guess,” he said.
But Rep. Mario Diaz-BalartMario Rafael Diaz-BalartLawmakers call on Treasury to take tougher stance on Hamas in Qatar Congress barreling toward explosive immigration fight Future of DACA up in the air as deadline looms MORE, another appropriations subcommittee chair, sounded far more optimistic. The Florida Republican told The Hill that he thinks Congress will only need a “very short-term” CR to hold them over while they write the omnibus spending package.
Rep. Charlie Dent
Charles(Charlie) Wieder DentJuan Williams: The GOP has divided America Republicans pursue two-week spending bill GOP could punt funding fight to January MORE (R-Pa.), a senior appropriator, said the length of the next CR will depend on when they get a budget agreement.
He said it “generally” takes 30 days to write spending bills after they receive top-line numbers, though Dent noted it could be done quicker.
“But I don’t think we do it in a week,” Dent said.
—Scott Wong contributed.