A deal was reportedly struck over Department of Homeland Security financing on Monday night. Thanks to this breakthrough in Congress, a solution to the federal financing problem, which has sparked controversy and threatened closure for months, is now within reach.
On Tuesday, top congressional lawmakers announced that they and the White House had achieved a financial agreement for the Department of Homeland Security. This comes just as negotiations are winding down on a larger funding plan, and the shutdown deadline is drawing near.
Among the several departments included in the budget package—which also includes Defense, Financial Services, Labor, Health and Human Services, State and Foreign Operations, and the legislative branch—the money for the Department of Homeland Security appeared to be the main point of contention.
Legislative appropriations committees are hard at work preparing the wording and reports for immediate review and consideration by Congress, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Tuesday morning announcement.
The proposal must be approved by Friday night to avoid a partial government shutdown, so the clock is ticking.
This is the second round of financial measures following months of repeatedly postponing budget deadlines with stopgap measures to keep the government running.
After the first round of funding legislation passed without a hitch, legislators were given more time until this week’s deadline to reach a compromise on the overall package, which addresses issues that have historically caused more controversy.
The agreement doesn’t guarantee that the measure will clear Congress by the deadline. The House is expected to hold a vote later this week after lawmakers are given 72 hours to examine the package.
Some portions of the government could fall dark on Saturday morning since the Senate is unlikely to pass the proposal before the deadline. This week, the administration may take another temporary step to stabilize financing.
