Deal reached on stopgap funding bill; quick House vote scheduled

WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators reached agreement late Tuesday on a bipartisan stopgap funding measure needed to avert a partial government shutdown in eight days.

The House was beginning debate on the measure at 7 p.m., with final passage expected around an hour later. The revised continuing resolution was being considered under suspension of the rules, which requires the support of two-thirds of lawmakers present and voting.

The pact would restore money for farm payments sought by lawmakers from both parties that House leaders had rejected in their own stopgap measure introduced Monday. It also would restore new money for a pandemic-related program funding subsidized meals to children who would normally receive them when schools are open, among other nutrition assistance, Democrats said.

“We have reached an agreement with Republicans on the CR to add nearly $8 billion in desperately needed nutrition assistance for hungry schoolchildren and families,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

The measure includes new provisions that would extend pandemic-related flexibilities in the food stamp program for another year and expand the school meals program to those attending child care centers that were closed because of the pandemic, among other things.

The agreement also contains language Pelosi said would prevent “funds for farmers from being misused for a Big Oil bailout,” after earlier reports surfaced that the administration has been planning to divert Commodity Credit Corporation funds to refiners.

The CR is expected to clear the Senate by early next week. If, as also expected, President Donald Trump signs the bill, it would spare the country a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.