Appropriations Update: Congress Continues Negotiations to Finalize FY 2020 Funding

Upon returning to Washington after the Thanksgiving holiday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that Senate lawmakers are inching closer to finishing Fiscal Year 2020 spending bills after reaching final agreement on top-line funding levels for all 12 bills. Despite Congress making progress on reaching an agreement, Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) says the White House doesn’t want to raise the overall spending cap in order to reach a compromise on FY20 spending bills.

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer spoke on the Senate floor, commenting that for a spending package to move forward, Democrats will require support for opioid addiction, combating gun violence, and investments in infrastructure and election security. He went on to state that Democrats will continue to reject efforts to fund President Trump’s proposed boarder wall, which continues to be the main sticking point in negotiations.

With Federal funding set to expire on December 20, the House of Representatives has changed its schedule to now be in session that week leading up to the Christmas holiday. The Senate also plans to be in session longer than previously planned, but has not yet set a final schedule.