Congress strikes stopgap funding deal, postpones border wall fight – By John Bresnahan and Catilin Emma (Politico) / Nov 18 2019
Several issues are ensnaring a short-term spending fix.
House and Senate leaders secured a deal on Monday afternoon that would extend government funding for four more weeks and sidestep a debilitating government-wide shutdown.
The continuing resolution unveiled by House Democrats would last until Dec. 20, leaving out any restrictions on border barrier spending, which President Donald Trump demanded in exchange for his signature. The current stopgap expires Thursday night.
The bill would fund a 3.1 percent military pay raise, it would provide extra cash to help the Commerce Department gear up for the 2020 census and it would allow state highway programs to avoid a $7.6 billion cut this summer. It also includes a number of health extenders and renews three expiring surveillance provisions through March.
House Democrats, however, did not secure funding for historically black colleges and universities, an item among their requested policy riders.
“It is profoundly disappointing and deeply shameful that the Senate GOP has yet again turned their back on America’s young people and these historic institutions,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.
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