Friday is the deadline for Congress to pass the final six appropriations bills for the current fiscal year. The defense appropriations bill is part of the package.

Punchbowl News reported this morning that negotiators have finished work on defense spending and other bills, but that the Homeland Security appropriations bill is the sticking point.

The Timing

House Republican leaders told lawmakers they would have 72 hours to review the minibus package before voting, Punchbowl News noted:

If the bills are publicly released at some point today, the House can vote on Thursday — one day before the shutdown. That gives the Senate little time to clear this funding package. And Senate leaders have already said they expect this six-bill minibus to be more difficult to process than the first one.

All of which means that, at this point, Congress could stumble into a shutdown.

Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Philip Bryant