Congress grapples over pre-Christmas catch-all deal as government shutdown looms

Congressional leaders were still trading offers Sunday afternoon on a government funding patch attached to a disaster aid package and a slew of other priorities leaders hope to clear before year’s end.

Those negotiations between Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and their leadership counterparts are down to the wire, ahead of a Friday night government shutdown deadline and Congress’ scheduled break for the holidays. Since the funding measure is expected to be the last major bill Congress passes this year, lawmakers have been eyeing it as a path to clearing several other major policy priorities, including a package to authorize expiring health care programs, a long-sought bipartisan deal to overhaul rules for permitting energy projects and a measure to restrict U.S. investments to China.

Negotiators had aimed to release bill text over the weekend of the measure that’s expected to set a new March funding deadline that pushes the current spending fight into the second Trump administration. But leaders reached an impasse on Saturday over billions of dollars in farm aid, prompting several House Republicans to vow opposition to the entire package if the assistance doesn’t make it into the final bill.

Because conservative House Republicans routinely oppose the procedural vote to tee up passage of funding bills, Johnson is expected to seek fast-track debate with a two-thirds bar for passage.

The legislation is likely to include tens of billions of dollars in assistance for communities recovering from disasters, including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, exposing lawmakers who vote “nay” to criticism for opposing disaster aid.