Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Wednesday that he plans to introduce a short-term spending bill that would fund the government through February.
McConnell said Wednesday he plans to introduce the bill that would fund the government through February 8, which would avert a potential partial government shutdown. A short-term spending bill would punt a potential fight over border wall funding to early next year.
“Later this morning I’ll introduce a continuing resolution that will ensure continuous funding for the federal government,” McConnell said. “The measure will provide the resources necessary to continue normal operations through February the 8th.”
The Kentucky Republican said that President Donald Trump will not relent on the issue of border wall funding.
McConnell said, “There will be important unfinished business in front of us, and we’ll owe it to the American people to finally tackle it.”
The legislation comes as President Trump relented on his recent demands that Congress ensure $5 billion in border wall funding in the December spending bill and would accept less border wall and border security funding.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday that Trump would “certainly” look at a short-term funding solution, otherwise known as a continuing resolution (CR).
A CR funding the government through February would set up a government spending and border wall funding fight early in the new congressional term, especially as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will likely take the gavel as the new Speaker of the House.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) said late Tuesday night that they have started drafting a short-term CR to fund the government through February.
The report arises as McConnell said on Tuesday that he does not believe that the government will shut down and that the White House has been “extremely flexible” on the border wall funding issue.
On Tuesday, McConnell previously offered Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) a spending bill that would that would include $1.6 billion for homeland security spending as well as $1 billion in spending for Trump’s immigration agenda.
President Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning that “one way or the other,” he will secure funding for his promised border wall.
“In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death,” Trump tweeted. “We won on the Military, which is being completely rebuilt. One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!”