WASHINGTON — The Senate is scheduled to hold a key procedural vote Monday night on a stopgap appropriations bill that would keep the federal government funded through Dec. 11, averting a shutdown that would otherwise begin Oct. 1.
The bill, released Sunday evening, has bipartisan support and is expected to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to advance.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. both voiced support for the agreement. A spokesperson for Thune said passing the bill now "will avert costly government shutdown in the fall."
Schumer called the measure "a responsible path forward that allows continued bipartisan negotiations on a budget that delivers for American families." He thanked Sen. Patty Murray for her work on the deal.
The current fiscal year concludes Sept. 30. Without legislative action, federal agencies would face a funding lapse and a partial government shutdown.
The bill funds federal operations at current levels, with a few specified exceptions, maintaining the status quo for the next two months.
Senate leaders aim to pass the bill before senators depart for a five-week recess, deferring more contentious spending fights until later in the year.
Senate appropriators crafted the bipartisan continuing resolution, providing a temporary fix to a recurring budget standoff in Washington. Previous shutdowns — including one that stretched from late 2018 into early 2019 — have stemmed from similar spending impasses.
