Congress seeks to rid itself of impending conflict

Lawmakers are looking for a stalemate over how to prevent a stop battle over the next few weeks.

Congress rescheduled the countdown Thursday by passing a permanent resolution to fund the government until November 21, buying an additional eight weeks to negotiate a longer-term spending agreement.

But this step forward conceals more and more problems concerning the financing of the government from the end of November to September 30, 2020. The Congress and the White House have not managed to agree on a plan that could convince both chambers and prevent an imminent battle President TrumpDonald John Trump: Whistleblower has filed a lawsuit against Trump after contacting the CIA's general counsel: tell the Trump campaign, the GOP group raises M after Pelosi announced the holding of an investigation into the dismissal The New York Times is hit by a video on the theme of Star Wars PLUSWall of the border.

Chairman of Senate Credits Committee Richard ShelbyRichard Craig ShelbySenate Approves $ 1 Billion Bill of Expenditures on Counterpart Funds Over Democrats' Objections on Money: Trump Signs Trade Agreement with Japan on Agricultural Products | GOP senator meets Trump in deadlock spending | House passes a bill of cannabis bank | Judge grants a one-day break to Trump PLUS tax returns (R-Ala.) Must meet Trump at the White House on Friday, as they are trying to find a way to send funding bills to the president's office.

"My message is a discussion about where we are and how we can move these bills forward with its help," said Shelby, to the question about her argument for the meeting. "It could be very crucial, or there might be no progress."

The White House caucus comes as talks on funding for fiscal year 2020 are struggling to materialize. Although the House has passed 10 of the 12 annual appropriation bills, many of them have Democratic priorities, making them unusable when they arrive in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellJonathan Van Ness meets with Nancy Pelosi to discuss the Equality Act. The Senate confirms Trump's candidacy for the position of Army Secretary, The Hill's 12:30 Report: Intel Chief Defends the Treatment of Complainant Complaint (R-Ky.) And his Republican colleagues have managed to pass any of their funding bills, in part because of democratic obstacles.

Democratic senators are angry after Republicans pushed the Committee on the spending of 12 bills and earmarked $ 12 billion for the construction of the Trump Border Wall.

That includes $ 5 billion in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bill, $ 3.6 billion in reprogramming in military construction and the veterans bill and an additional $ 3.6 billion for " "reuse" money from military construction transferred to the wall as part of Trump 's emergency statement.

The $ 5 billion allocated to the Senate by the Senate contrasts sharply with the DHS bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee, a measure that would not provide additional funding for the Senate. obstacles.

Leader of the Senate Minority Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerThe Office of the National Intelligence Director does not plan to disclose his complaint of whistleblowing, a member of GOP House Intel says the whistleblower complaint should be made public. Complaints about the denunciation concern Trump's communications with the Ukrainian leader MORE (D-N.Y.) Recognized that the CR was the easiest part of government funding.

"The most difficult thing is to restart the bipartite vote process in the Senate," he said. "It's time for Chief McConnell, President Shelby and our Republican Credit Committee colleagues to meet with the Democrats and re-launch the bipartite process."

The Senate Committee on Estimates adopted 10 of the 12 funding bills, including potential legislation. Shelby and Sen. Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahyOn The Money: The Senate Confirms Scalia As Head Of Labor | The bill with B in the financing of the wall advanced on the objections of Democrats | Lawyers reach an agreement to delay the implementation of the New York tax return summons The Senate passes a draft spending bill, sending it back to Trump Bill with $ 1 billion in funding over Democrats' objections MORE (Vt.), The largest Democrat in the Allocations Group, urges leaders to pass non-controversial bills, even without an agreement to resolve the impasse in Defense and DHS.

"I like that, Senators Leahy and Schumer both said they would," Shelby said. "I see no reason why we can not move some of these bills."

It is not known if McConnell adheres to the strategy. Spokespeople of the GOP leader did not respond to a request for comment.

Republicans view the defense bill as a top priority. Leaving other bills to go forward could reduce the leverage of the GOP to force Democrats to come to the Pentagon's spending table.

Sen. Roy BluntRoy Dean BluntOvernight Defense – Presented by Huntington Ingalls Industries – Furor about reading at the White House of the call of Ukraine | Dems seize a memo as part of the impeachment proceeding | Senate votes to end emergency Trump | Congress receives briefing on the Iranian Senate vote again to end Trump's emergency declaration on the border wall 25 years of defense of successful community development (R-Mo.), A member of the GOP and Credit Committee, said the best plan was to move the Defense, Health and Human Services, the workforce, the government, and the government. education and all other bills that may be incorporated.

"I still think that what the President wants to do and what we should do is advance the Defense Bill, the H-Labor Bill and as many other things as we can propose and try to do it by 21 November, "he said.

When asked if McConnell did not seem optimistic about the adoption of non-controversial bills, Shelby replied that he did not know yet and was warned that "politics was at stake". But eager to answer, Leahy rolled her eyes and made a noise without engagement.

"It's a decision he has to make, but I think all the Republicans, all the Democrats I've talked to tell me to talk about them," he said of the bills. non-controversial.

Senate and Senate appropriations committee staff also began, in Shelby's words, "serious" negotiations on how to revive the FY2020 spending bills. Although the Senate is able to advance its own spending bill, both the House and the Senate will have to reconcile their competing bills and resolve major spending differences.

A Democratic House aide confirmed that the staff had discussed, but called the talks "preliminary", suggesting that lawmakers are far from agreeing to avoid another stunt battle just days before Thanksgiving .

"There have been preliminary discussions at the staff level about each party's priorities and how best to continue the discussions. There have been no negotiations on individual credit bills, "said the assistant.

Some Senators have begun to contact their House counterparts individually to lay the groundwork for an agreement.

Blunt met the representative. Kay GrangerNorvell (Kay) Kay GrangerHouse votes to avoid closure, funds the government through November Global lobby House approves a bill increasing the salary of federal employees MORE (R-Texas) to try to talk about a potential path for discussions about spending in anticipation of an upcoming two-week leave.

"I hope that what we can do is to accept [top-line numbers] with the Chamber … and then, I think, if we get there, the process is pretty fast, "he said. "I hope it will not be until the end of the two-week break and the sooner the better."