Senate to consider $1.1T package Friday

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says the Senate on Friday will consider the $1.1 trillion government-funding bill approved by the House.

The Senate voted Thursday night on a two-day stopgap funding measure to keep the government operating beyond midnight.

{mosads}The leader also wants to pass a defense authorization bill, a package of tax extenders and a terrorism insurance bill and to confirm a group of nominees before wrapping up the 113th Congress. 

He asked all 99 of his Senate colleagues to cooperate to pass the massive spending package by Saturday.

“We’ll take up the long-term spending bill tomorrow,” Reid said on the floor shortly before 10 pm Thursday. “Senators will want to debate this legislation. We’ll have that opportunity. The Senate will vote on the long-term funding bill as soon as possible.”

The omnibus will have to wait, however, until the Senate casts a final vote on the annual Defense Department authorization bill, which may take place as late as 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Reid said he is in talks with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who is delaying a final vote on the defense bill because of an objection over an attached federal lands measure, about speeding up the process.

Reid hopes to pass the omnibus on Friday or Saturday and then move immediately to a one-year extension of various expired tax provisions.

He said reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and a slew of pending executive and judicial branch nominees need to get done as well.

“With a little bit of good fortune, we could complete the spending for the country for a fiscal year that’s fast upon us,” he said. “We could finish the defense bill and then look to doing the tax extenders and completing the work on TRIA, whatever that might be.”

Reid will need to get unanimous consent to stick to his plan to finish work by Saturday. If any of his colleagues object to moving the omnibus quickly, a final vote on it could be delayed until Monday. 

—This post was updated at 11:32 p.m.