Congress reveals stopgap plan to fund government

US congressional leaders revealed details of an agreement to keep large parts of the government operating through Sept. 30, hoping it can be enacted before another shutdown deadline at the end of the week.

The package, covering about a quarter of funding for government agencies, represents the first real progress toward resolving ideological clashes behind the series of shutdown threats and interim patches the United States has operated under for more than five months. It includes a provision to prevent oil sales from the US’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China.

But it sidesteps lingering disputes by leaving out funding for the Defense Department, Homeland Security, and social programs operated through the Health and Human Services Department. Those agencies are currently set to shut down on March 23 and there is no agreement on their funding.

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said the bill didn’t have any “rider” policy language anathema to Democrats.

“We are proud to be keeping the government open without cuts or poison pill riders,” he said. He added Democrats were proud of funding levels for the women, infant, and children feeding program, infrastructure, and veterans benefits.

The bill boosts food aid under the so-called WIC nutrition program for women, infants, and children, providing $7.03 billion, a $1.03 billion increase over the current level, Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray said in a statement.

The House plans to act first on the partial funding measure, clearing it before President Biden delivers his annual State of the Union address on Thursday. The Senate plans to follow, with many of the agencies covered set to run out of money at the end of the week.

The measure includes funds for the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, and Energy, along with the Food and Drug Administration. The Environmental Protection Agency and departments of Commerce, Justice, and Interior also are covered.

The bill falls short of conservative demands for giant cuts to domestic spending and contains few conservative policy changes.