The House will vote Thursday on a bill to fund the government through Dec. 11, holding spending levels at about the current level, Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky, announced late Tuesday.
The bill caps annual spending at the 2014 $1.012 trillion level and it includes a provision to extend the Export-Import Bank until June 30, 2015.
Congress is forced to take up an emergency spending bill, or continuing resolution, because the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 and Congress has not cleared any of the nearly one dozen appropriations measures intended to fund the government for a full fiscal year. The House has passed seven appropriations bills, while the Senate has not yet passed a single one, Rogers noted in his announcement.
With the election just a few weeks away, both parties in the House and Senate are eager to pass the continuing resolution without typical partisan fighting so they can quickly adjourn and go home to campaign.
Last year, a fight over spending led to a 16-day shutdown that was largely blamed on the GOP.
“We have reached the point where a Continuing Resolution is necessary to keep the government functioning and avoid another shutdown.” Rogers said. “It is a critical piece of legislation, and my Committee has crafted the bill in a responsible, restrained way that should draw wide support in the House and Senate. This bill is free of controversial riders, maintains current levels, and does not seek to change existing federal policies.”
The bill includes some changes to existing law that do not increase spending, such as provisions to address long wait lists and mismanagement at Veterans Affairs medical facilities and language allowing U.S Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement the flexibility to use their funding to maintain staffing levels and borders security operations.
