{"id":17558,"date":"2019-10-25T14:01:38","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T14:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/25\/congress-mulls-spring-cr-to-avoid-government-shutdown\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:41:08","slug":"congress-mulls-spring-cr-to-avoid-government-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2019\/10\/25\/congress-mulls-spring-cr-to-avoid-government-shutdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress mulls spring continuing resolution to avoid government shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 With impeachment proceedings looming and budget talks stalling, Congress will likely need a stopgap spending measure<\/a> for February or March, the Senate\u2019s top appropriator said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A continuing resolution, or CR, would avoid a government shutdown when the last funding patch expires Nov. 21, just before Congress takes its Thanksgiving recess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said that if the House passes a resolution to impeach President Donald Trump, it will indefinitely dominate the the Senate\u2019s business, forestalling budget talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt takes a lot of oxygen out of the air, and some business is transacted, but it will slow everything down,\u201d Shelby told reporters, adding that a continuing resolution could be needed into February or March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senate this week voted to advance the a package of fiscal 2020 domestic spending bills passed by the House, which would include nearly one-third of all nondefense discretionary spending. The Senate is set to resume consideration of the package on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That package excludes Department of Defense appropriations, which has been snagged in a fight over border wall funding. Democrats are likely to withhold support for defense spending until a larger spending deal is reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The package does include measures for the Appropriations subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senate has not yet passed any spending bills, while the House has passed 10 of 12 spending bills, including its defense appropriations bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\t