The Senate is pushing ahead with a plan to fund the government through the midterms, with appropriators touting the upper chamber’s continuing resolution for making funding adjustments to nutrition, national security, and disaster relief programs.

Key Provisions

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democratic appropriator in the Senate, called the measure a “much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.” The bill includes important extensions and language that the House Republicans’ CR did not, and it rejects the Trump administration’s wish list for war spending.

Democrats have been seeking a number of provisions in the stopgap measure, including one that would prevent the administration from transferring funds allotted to Customs and Border Protection to Border Patrol. Senate Democrats also celebrated language to temporarily prevent political appointees in the administration from implementing a proposed grants rule, which they warn would allow the administration to cancel grants and “take even more federal funding hostage.”

However, Democrats were unable to secure additional provisions, such as one aimed at preventing the administration from pursuing so-called “pocket rescissions” to claw back previously appropriated funding.

Next Steps

The Senate is aiming to approve the measure before leaving town for its August recess later this week, with an initial procedural vote Monday evening. The House will proceed when it returns on August 31, and lawmakers may be less inclined to oppose a deal due to limited time and widespread concern about the cost of another shutdown ahead of the midterms.

Original reporting: KTSA News/Talk (San Antonio) — read the source article.