House Democrats eye short-term funding bill to keep government open past Feb. 18

House Democrats are poised to pass a short-term funding bill this week that will keep the federal government afloat past Feb. 18.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC the stopgap measure was needed to give bipartisan lawmakers extra time to cut a deal on a budget for the rest of the fiscal year.

“We’re going to get something done, it’ll probably be a short-term [funding bill], and it will be this coming week to give us a little more time,” the Maryland Democrat said. “Negotiations are very vigorous, and I think that we’re going to get agreement both on the top line, how much spending is going to be in, and how it will be spent.”

Lawmakers have to pass a spending bill by Feb. 18 or risk a government shutdown. While Republicans and Democrats say a shutdown is unlikely, most lawmakers are unsure if a bipartisan budget deal is possible. If it isn’t, they would have to rely on yet another short-gap funding measure.

“If we could cut a deal, and it’s something we could live with, that’s what this place is about,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, Alabama Republican. “But it has to be something that would be palatable to our caucus and theirs, too — maybe not everything [that] everybody wants.”

President Biden and Democrats are pushing for a bipartisan budget deal that will let them boost funding for agencies and programs. Democrats say such a deal is the only way they can make their mark on the federal government.

Currently, the federal government is still operating with funding levels approved by Congress under former President Trump.

Abiding by Trump-era budget levels has hamstrung efforts to move Mr. Biden’s agenda through the federal bureaucracy. But Democrats will need to garner the support of at least 10 Republicans in the evenly split Senate to overcome the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.

GOP lawmakers say a budget deal is possible, provided Democrats agree to keep domestic and defense spending increases equal and leave out divisive issues like federal funding for abortion.

“The Senate is 50-50 and you need Republicans and Democrats to cooperate, and they’re having trouble getting there,” Mr. Hoyer said. “But hopefully, we’ll get there soon.”