Feb. 2, 2018 - On Feb. 8, the short-term spending bill that ended the January government shutdown runs out. House Republican leaders are working on another stopgap through March 22, though a six-week Continuing Resolution or CR presents multiple complications for the GOP majority, especially in the Senate.
The last CR, which was passed after a three day government shutdown, expires on February 8th. "We're still negotiating on the contents and the duration of that," Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) told reporters gathered at the GOP policy retreat Thursday in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Ryan did express optimism that an agreement would be reached soon on actual fiscal 2018 spending levels, which are needed to rework the 12 spending bills to higher caps.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will need votes from Democrats to advance spending legislation, and a multiple of policy issues still left unaddressed could complicate negotiations, including the March 5 deadline President Trump set to begin winding down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for immigrant "Dreamers" and the estimated deadline for Congress to increase the federal borrowing limit. (CQ Budget, 2/2/18)
Write your Members to urge them to provide robust funding for water infrastructure funding programs in the fiscal year 2018 budget!
