Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced today a 7-week spending bill that, if approved with Congress, would delay the fight over Pres. Trump's border security funding request until February. Congress risks a partial government shutdown if it doesn't pass legislation for nine agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, before the end of Friday.
Last week, Pres. Trump said he would veto any spending bill that didn't provide $5 billion of border security funding that he requested. At the time, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) offered Pres. Trump a compromise that would fund all government agencies through the end of the fiscal year, or Sept. 30, 2019. The proposal from Sen. Schumer would simply extend existing funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Earlier in the week, Sen. McConnell approached Sen. Schumer with an offer of his own that would amend the spending bill that the Senate approved earlier this year for DHS that added an additional $1 billion of border security funding to the $1.3 billion already approved. But Sen. Schumer rejected the offer prompting today's short-term deal.
Senate Leaders in both parties have agreed to the 7-week solution offered by Sen. McConnell.
If approved, the deal would mean another showdown between Congressional Democrats and Pres. Trump over border funding in February. But between now and then, the President's party cedes control of the House to the Democrats.
