The talks began on Friday, when top Democrats and Republicans from 12 appropriations subcommittees responsible for annual spending bills submitted progress from their own talks to the full committee chairs, leaving them to haggle over tough issues such as how to tackle President Trump’s proposed border wall.
Other contentious issues included immigration enforcement, abortion and Trump’s use of emergency powers to transfer military funds toward the wall.
Appropriators have just days to work out a deal on the issues if they are to move packages of spending bills through both the House and Senate by Dec. 20 to avoid a shutdown. Without new spending bills, Congress would have to pass a stopgap funding measure to prevent a government closure.
Shelby has suggested a stopgap could extend as far as March, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said last week it could go until just after Christmas.
Whether President Trump will agree to sign another stopgap without a deal on the wall remains an open question. Last year, the fight over the wall led to a 35-day shutdown.