With Republican and Democratic negotiators struggling to reach an agreement on both a mammoth government spending bill and Covid-19 relief, lawmakers are set to postpone what had been a Friday night deadline for passing a bill.
Talks over a $908 billion pandemic relief plan have slowed, with negotiators still working to resolve key details on state and local aid as well as liability protections for businesses. Lawmakers are also still wrangling over a $1.4 trillion omnibus bill to fund the government into 2021, to which the Covid-19 package would be attached.
With current funding set to expire Dec. 11, the House is planning to vote Wednesday on a one-week continuing resolution to avert a shutdown, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a tweet. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his chamber would pass the funding extension “whenever we get it” from the House.
McConnell didn’t directly address the bipartisan compromise proposal in remarks on the Senate floor. He said both parties urgently need to act on measures that have broad support, such as aid for businesses, extended unemployment benefits and money for vaccines. All of their other disagreements “aren’t going to be resolved over night,
