With only eight legislative days left before the CR expires on April 28th, and a two-week recess between now and then, opportunities to close a funding deal are limited. While House Speaker Paul Ryan has confidently expressed there will be no shut down, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has expressed concerns about the sheer number of problems to be solved, each requiring bipartisan support, in the next few weeks. There are still 11 appropriations bills required to come to the Senate floor, which will most likely be introduced in an omnibus for time’s sake.
Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) had said that the likelihood of including President Trump’s funding for the border wall in the 2017 wrap-up bill was quite low.
What it Means
Expect a Senate proposition that focuses on defense and then attempts to attach as much as possible without engaging in another CR. In order to avoid shutdown, Speaker Ryan has said the GOP will leave out controversial provisions to ensure Democrats get on board before the CR expiration (April 28th). Much of President Trump’s funding for the border wall will then be moved to next year’s fiscal budget. The push for a $30B FY17 supplemental was valiant, but will not be part of the immediate FY17 omnibus dialogue. There appears to be bipartisan support to get the regular FY17 appropriations passed in an omnibus. This could buy time over the summer to readdress the issues of the supplemental (border wall and additional defense spending) against the backdrop of President Trump’s first wholly-owned FY18 budget submission, expected to reach Congress in early May.
