Senate GOP leaders are looking to pressure Democrats to make progress on full-year spending bills that would fund the Pentagon and a handful of other federal agencies amid the government shutdown.
Majority Leader John Thune teed up the House-passed Defense appropriations bill Tuesday for an initial procedural vote, where it will need 60 votes to advance. That vote is set for Thursday.
Separately, Republicans are attempting to expedite the process of instructing lawmakers to go to conference with House counterparts on “minibus” legislation that would fund the Departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs, the FDA and the operations of Congress, among other offices and agencies. The plan was described by three people granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
GOP senators, including Thune, have also privately discussed attaching funding for the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services to the Defense bill in a bid to entice Democratic cooperation. Some GOP senators expect leadership to try to add Transportation and Housing and Urban Development funding as well.
