Two-Step CR Hits Bipartisan Glidepath in Senate

Both chambers will meet for legislative business today as Congress races to pass another continuing resolution (CR) to avoid a partial shutdown later this week. Notably, the Senate advanced the legislative vehicle that will carry the stopgap funding measure during yesterday’s session on a bipartisan basis. Senators will now resume their discussions on reaching a “time agreement” to speed things along, but some amendment votes could be needed to ensure cooperation among the entire 100-member body. On the House side, lawmakers will consider a suspension bill out of the Ways and Means Committee that seeks to improve foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention before moving onto a resolution that criticizes the Biden administration’s policies at the U.S.-Mexico border.

• Supplemental Update. House and Senate leadership will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House later this afternoon to discuss the state of talks regarding funding for Ukraine and border security policy changes. While a bipartisan group of Senate negotiators are hoping to unveil a deal on the long-anticipated supplemental funding bill this week, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Republicans have maintained their insistence that the GOP’s Protect the Border Act (H.R. 2) must be included in its entirety in order for additional foreign aid to pass the chamber. In addition to opposition from congressional Democrats and the White House, Senate Republican leadership has pushed back on the notion that H.R. 2 would receive the requisite votes needed for passage, both now and in a potential GOP-controlled Senate in 2025. As such, we’ll be watching to see if there’s any notable movement in border and foreign aid talks as a result of today’s White House meeting.