The Senate has apparently been able to create a new bipartisan legislation proposal. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated that Republicans and Democrats will push forward a major spending package during August. These funds would go towards the Pentagon, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.
This is the biggest spending appropriations bill passed by Congress, and it is being pushed forward at a faster pace than most people expected. Both parties usually have long disagreements over the fund’s division. The bill has been called Labor-HHS bill, and it will move forward alongside funding for the Defense Department, a high interest for the GOP and likely a decisive factor in their decision.
While speaking to reporters, McConnell addressed differences between the two parties and future plans for passing the legislation. He stated:
We have an agreement with the Democrats to take up in a few weeks a combination of Labor[-HHS] and Defense. Our hope is by the end of August the Senate will approve nine of 12 appropriations bills, which means 90 percent of the funding of the federal government — from the Senate point of view — will be done through the regular order before we get to Labor Day. We hope to be able to conference those bills with the House and send the president a series of conference reports covering those nine of 12 appropriations bills early after we get back from the Labor Day weekend break.”
He also mentioned that the Senate will attempt to finish its negotiations with the House before the end of the fiscal year in September, so that their requests can be signed by the President. He further addressed the different approaches both chambers have used when approaching these nine bills. McConnell mentioned:
On the Senate side, both sides have sort of stood down on policy riders in order to expedite the process. he House has taken a different approach, so clearly we’re going to have to reconcile these differences in order to actually function and get these bills signed.”
The future if these bills still remain somewhat uncertain as Democrats have stated that they do not wish to change the bills to avoid controversy and fights in the Senate between parties. However, Republicans are still fully willing to revisit the bill and change it.
Featured image via Flickr/Gage Skidmore
