WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate’s top Republican has announced a lengthy wish list that he hopes to attach to a must-do spending bill this week, but there’s no agreement with the chamber’s Democrats and little time to waste.
The government would partially shut down if Washington can’t pass another stopgap spending bill by midnight Friday.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is eyeing the measure as a shortcut to power several other items into law, including hurricane relief, a renewal of a children’s health insurance program and funding to stabilize “Obamacare” insurance markets.
But top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer has other priorities, chiefly immigration and securing spending increases for domestic agencies to match a budget increase for the Pentagon.
An impasse could prompt lawmakers to do the bare minimum to avert a shutdown.
