US House Democrats To File Measure Funding Government Through December 11

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to file a stopgap funding measure that would avoid a government shutdown and keep federal agencies operating through Dec. 11, according to a House Democratic aide.

The measure, known formally as a continuing resolution or CR, was expected to be released by the Democratic-led House Appropriations Committee and taken up by the full House and the Republican-led Senate next week. But it was not immediately clear when the CR would be filed.

“We plan to file a CR with a Dec. 11 end date,” said the Democratic aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Word of the CR emerged after weeks of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. With talks on new COVID-19 aid legislation stalled, lawmakers were determined to reach an agreement on the funding measure.

Failure to adopt the CR would threaten a partial shutdown of the federal government in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and just before the Nov. 3 election. Current funding for U.S. agencies runs out after Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year.

The measure’s expected December end date would require 🏛️Congress to address government funding again in its post-election lameduck session, when the threat of a government shutdown could re-emerge.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Daniel Wallis)