WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Temporary funding to keep the U.S. government operating beyond the current fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30 could extend until mid-December, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Schumer also said he intends to attach a permitting reform bill, which would aid the U.S. energy industry, to that stop-gap funding bill.
“We’re hoping the CR (continuing resolution providing temporary funding) would go to about mid-December and then we might do an omnibus” bill that would provide government-wide funds through the remainder of the fiscal year, Schumer said.
However, some Republicans might want to hold off until next year on finishing fiscal year 2023 spending in the hope that their party wins control of at least the House of Representatives in the Nov. 8 mid-term elections. That would give Republicans more say over budget priorities.
Currently Democrats control the Senate, House and White House.
Without a stop-gap funding bill, some federal agency activities deemed non-essential would have to shut down until Congress settled differences between Democrats and Republicans.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday warned Democrats against loading up a temporary spending bill with add-ons to currently approved appropriations expiring on Sept. 30.
“The cleaner the CR, the better,” McConnell told reporters.
Permitting reform would update federal procedures for energy-related projects, such as pipelines and export facilities. September passage of such a bill was part of a deal with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin during negotiations this summer on a wide-ranging bill addressing climate change and lowering some prescription drug prices that has been enacted.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Moira Warburton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
