Congressional leaders struck a deal Wednesday on some of the appropriations bills funding the federal government, as well as a short-term stopgap measure that would extend government funding and prevent a partial shutdown ahead of a Friday night deadline.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top lawmakers announced that negotiators came to an agreement on six bills and that the package will be voted on and passed before March 8.
“To give the House and Senate Appropriations Committees adequate time to execute on this deal in principle, including drafting, preparing report language, scoring and other technical matters, and to allow members 72 hours to review, a short-term continuing resolution to fund agencies through March 8 and the 22 will be necessary, and voted on by the House and Senate this week,” the congressional leaders said in their statement.
The six bills in the proposed agreement cover funding for:
- The Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration
- The Commerce and Justice Departments
- Science, Energy and Water development
- The Interior Department
- Military Construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs
- The Transportation Department and Housing and Urban Development
It would also extend the deadline for six other priorities, including Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Financial Services, State and Foreign Ops and Legislative Branch, through March 22, while negotiators work on a broader agreement to fully fund the government through the end of the fiscal year in September.
Read more about the agreement.
