Appropriators hope to work out preliminary differences in their spending bills this week, lawmakers said Wednesday.
“It’s slow, but at least we’re moving forward,” said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, according to CQ.
It will be up to House and Senate leaders to work out differences on the biggest sticking points, chiefly whether to fund a border wall or backfill military construction projects delayed for border construction.
“That’s something that’ll be settled, you know, higher up at the leadership level,” Senate Military Construction-VA Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) said, according to CQ. “All the other stuff is pretty much done…. We’re 99.9% done,” he said of his subcommittee’s bill.
There is growing skepticism that it’s possible to pass all 12 spending bills by Dec. 20, when the current continuing resolution runs out.
Coast Guard photo of Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, left, by Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Norcross