Even with significant disagreements between the two parties on a host of issues still on the table, the Senate appropriators are scheduled to try to move this week four of the spending bills for FY2020, which starts next Tuesday, October 1.
On Tuesday, three subcommittees are expected to take up their respective bills: Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), Interior, and Homeland Security. All three measures are expected to be controversial. The markup of the Interior legislation is likely to spark debate on the Administration’s recent attempts to change environmental regulations while the CJS bill markup will likely touch on, among other others, adequate funding for the 2020 census as well as jostling on gun measures and immigration. The FY2020 Homeland Security appropriations measure scheduled to be taken up tomorrow may prove to the most contentious, as Republicans will seek to include additional funding for a border wall, as requested by the President.
At this point in time, the full Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up these three bills along with the Legislative Branch legislation during its markup on Thursday. Even if the appropriations process gets that far, it remains to be seen what happens after that, as Congress is slated to take a two-week recess starting next Monday. Deep divisions still remain, especially with respect to how much money is available to each of the 12 spending bills as well as the Administration’s push to transfer funds primarily from the Defense and Labor-HHS-Education measures for the border wall.
With the assumption that none of the 12 spending bills will be signed into law by the end of next Monday, the Senate is expected to act this week on a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded through November 21. The House approved it last week by a vote of 301 – 123. Assuming it is adopted by the Senate, the President must still sign it into law.