Another government shutdown is looming, and the new battle is over military spending

Paul Ryan.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Congress has until midnight Thursday to pass a fiscal 2018 spending bill, or more likely a fifth straight stopgap spending measure, and House Republicans unveiled their opening gambit on Monday night. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) proposed to his caucus a bill that would fund the government at current levels until March 23, with the exception of the Defense Department, which would get a $30 billion boost and be funded for the rest of the fiscal year. The proposal, which also funds community health centers, is expected to pass with GOP votes in the House but die in the Senate.

Lawmakers made progress Monday on a full-year spending package, including a boost to domestic spending Democrats are demanding to match the boost in military spending pushed by Republicans. Senate Democrats won't approve a stopgap House measure that funds only the military. Republicans "don't want to work in a bipartisan fashion, and I think it's the message they've been sending for the last 13 months," said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). "They want to do it their way or no way."

If the House sends the Senate the current proposal, the Senate would likely strip out the full-year military part and send it back to the House. All of this has to take place in a 72-hour period in which House Democrats are supposed to leave Washington for their annual policy retreat and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has promised to hold a vote on legislation to protect DREAMers.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.