Dems discussing government funding bill into February

Congressional Democrats are discussing a stopgap bill to fund the government into February, sources told The Hill.

A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), asked about the possibility, said it was discussed during a closed-door leadership meeting but no decision was made.

Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) both held calls on Tuesday with the New Democrat Coalition, comprised of party centrists, with a source familiar with the discussion saying the plan for House Democrats “seems” to be to push for a continuing resolution (CR) into February. A House Democratic aide said that while discussions are ongoing, “most Democrats prefer an end date in 2021.”

The discussions come as Congress and the administration have until Sept. 30 to pass and have President Trump sign a bill to fund the government and avoid an election-year shutdown. 

Lawmakers are expected to use a CR, which would continue funding at fiscal 2020 levels. Neither chamber has unveiled legislation yet, but Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said he wants to wrap up negotiations this week, and Hoyer is eyeing a vote in the House early next week. 

Democrats have been privately haggling over what their strategy should be, with the talks focusing on two options: supporting a CR until December or pushing for a longer bill that goes into early next year. 

A shorter bill, supporters hope, would force Congress to reach a larger funding deal before the end of the year. But a bill that lasts into next year would take a lame-duck shutdown fight off the table and give Democrats more leverage if Democratic nominee Joe Biden is elected president. 

Neither Pelosi nor Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has publicly committed themselves to a timeline.

But pushing for a CR into next year would put them at loggerheads with Republicans, who are backing a bill that lasts until mid-December. 

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) on Tuesday floated a bill that would fund the government through Dec. 18.