Today on the Hill: Action Looms on Two-week Funding Bill

Congressional lawmakers are expected to clear the two-week funding bill by unanimous consent today, putting the bill on President Trump’s desk prior to Friday’s government funding deadline. Funding for parts of the federal government is currently set to expire tomorrow at midnight, but Congress is deadlocked over Trump’s demand for $5 billion in funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Once the stopgap funding bill is signed into law, lawmakers will have until December 21 to resolve the gridlock.

On the floor, the House will reconvene for an “pro forma” session, where the chamber will pass the two-week funding bill by voice vote. In the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is expected to advance the funding measure by unanimous consent once action in the House has been completed. Leader McConnell has also queued up final roll call votes on the nominations of Bernard McNamee to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Kathleen Kraninger to be Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).