WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Wednesday he hopes the House will pass a stopgap government funding bill no later than Friday.
He told reporters that he and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi want a spending bill that is as clean as possible.
“Once we pass the (continuing resolution), hopefully no later than Friday (and) relatively early in the day, I’m hopeful that the Senate will take it up, that we’ll have agreement and that we will send it to the president, that the president will sign it,” Hoyer said.
“The schedule will depend on when the CR can get done,” he added. “We’re hoping that the CR will be filed today.”
In July, Congress passed a two-year budget and debt deal that authorized discretionary defense and non-defense programs, but still need to pass annual legislation to fund agencies and avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
In December and January, the government shuttered for more than a month, after U.S. President Donald Trump initially refused to sign a spending bill if it did not include funding for a wall along the southern border with Mexico, a signature campaign promise of his.
Reporting by David Morgan and Makini Brice; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Chris Reese