House majority leader Steny Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, confirmed in a tweet that the House will vote on a one-week spending extension Wednesday to avert a government shutdown on Saturday. “The House will vote on Wednesday on a one-week CR [continuing resolution] to keep government open while negotiations continue,” Hoyer wrote.
In theory the extension will give Congress time to work out disagreements over items in the spending bill such as President Donald Trump’s demand for more funding for a border wall with Mexico and for detention facilities run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In theory, also, the extension could allow a $908 billion bipartisan coronavirus relief and stimulus bill to be attached to the government spending bill. Negotiators behind that effort are expected to release a section by section summary of their plan as soon as Monday night. They remain at least a day away from releasing legislative language that can be signed into law. Key disagreements include a liability exemption for companies from coronavirus-related lawsuits and the amount and apportionment of funding for state and local governments.
