The House quickly moved on Sunday night to implement a one-day extension of government funding – a last-minute pillow to avoid a government shutdown as the rooms slog through the final steps of passing a much larger coronavirus relief package on Monday.
The 24-hour buffer was needed after negotiations over the broader spending bill stalled on Sunday due to a handful of persistent disagreements, rendering the drafting and release of the final package impossible.
The bill later quickly passed the Senate and President Trump
Donald Trump Trump Signs Bill to Extend Government Funding for 24 Hours Congress Approves One-Day Emergency Bill Before Closing Deadline What’s in Coronavirus Bill 0 Billion MORE signed the stopgap solution just before the midnight closing deadline.
With the clock ticking toward midnight – and the government shutting down – House Democratic leaders announced their one-day resolution, or CR, to give Congress more time to move the legislation through both houses and take it to the bureau this week. of President Trump.
Their announcement came just as leaders in both houses announced that an agreement on a broader package had also been reached.
“I am pleased that we have reached an agreement on COVID-19 relief efforts and an omnibus, which I expect we will pass that morning and send to the Senate,” said the majority leader of the house. Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton HoyerCongress Approves One-Day Emergency Bill Before Closing House Approves One-Day Emergency Bill to Prevent Government Closure Negotiators Solve Last-Minute Problems As COVID Waiver Bill Heads to Finish MORE (D-Md.) Tweeted. “In order to free up time to prepare the bill for consideration, the House will meet at 6.30 pm to consider a one-day solution.”
The House Rules Committee is expected to meet Monday morning to adopt guidelines for the ground debate on the package, which will combine approximately $ 900 billion in coronavirus emergency relief with more than $ 1 trillion to pay the government through September next year. to fund.
The rules package will also include a multi-day CR – somewhere in the neighborhood of seven days, although the number isn’t definitive – to account for the logistical complications of hiring such a huge bill, especially during the holidays.
The House is expected to send the legislation to the Senate Monday afternoon, and leaders of both parties hope to move it to Trump’s office soon. However, it remains unclear whether there will be any objections to this accelerated strategy, which could further slow down the process.
– Updated 11:50 pm