Leaders in the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have reported modest progress toward a year-end spending deal following a private meeting Tuesday. As had been previously anticipated, House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-New York) confirmed that the new stopgap spending bill, expected to come up for votes next week, would last through Dec. 20th.
The Tuesday leadership meeting suggested negotiators may finally be prepared to work together to reach a deal, though the reaction of President Donald Trump remains in question. Democrats are reportedly hoping to settle on spending allocations before negotiating on specific bills, while Republicans hope to settle allocations and border wall funding simultaneously.