Congressional leaders preparing stopgap bill to fund government through March

WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders on Saturday are preparing a short-term bill to keep the government funded through the first two weeks of March, according to media reports.

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The continuing resolution would run through March 1 for those federal agencies whose approved funds are set to run out Friday, according to The Associated Press, which cited an anonymous source “familiar with the situation.” The bill would extend the remainder of government operations through March 8, the news organization reported.

CNN was the first news organization to report the stopgap bill. The cable news network also cited an anonymous source.

The measure is expected to be released on Sunday, according to the AP. It would need Democratic support to pass the narrowly divided House.

According to The Hill, the text of the continuing resolution is expected to be posted online Sunday evening, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

House Republicans are expected to have a conference call Sunday night to discuss the continuing resolution, CNN reported.

The agreement comes less than a week before the first funding deadline of Jan. 19. A second deadline to fund the government was originally set for Feb. 2.

Last weekend, House and Senate leaders reached a $1.66 trillion agreement for a government spending level in 2024, The Washington Post reported. It will bring funding in line with a deal that was made last year between President Joe Biden and then-House speaker Kevin McCarthy, according to The New York Times.

The agreement preserves funding for key domestic and social safety net programs despite demands from conservative Republicans to cut the budget, the Post reported.

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