MNI POLICY: US House Leaders Seek Vote on Stopgap Budget Bill

Democrats Seek to Avoid Shutdown, Trump Won't Rule One Out

By Alexandra Kelley

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer agreed to a vote

on legislation that would avoid a government shutdown as President Donald Trump

declined to rule one out.

     Hoyer called the move necessary to give the Senate time to pass

appropriations bills that fund all federal agencies. Hoyer wrote in a letter to

Democrats he is "hopeful that we can finish our work and fully fund the

government before the end of the year." The vote for the continuing resolution

is expected to take place the week of November 18th, before a Nov. 21 deadline

for Congress to approve a spending plan for the 2020 fiscal year.

     President Trump told reporters he "wouldn't commit" to avoid a shutdown,

depending on the terms of negotiations. Funding for a border wall with Mexico

again appears to be a sticking point between the administration and Democrats. 

     Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said

in a statement that "House Democrats will pass whatever legislation is necessary

to extend government funding and avoid a shutdown. To complete an orderly

appropriations process, Republicans must drop their insistence on funding

President Trump's wasteful border wall at the expense of critical domestic

priorities." 

--MNI Washington Bureau; +1 202 371 2121; email: alexandra.kelley@marketnews.com

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