Congress Poised to Approve Stopgap Funding Bill

Congress is expected to pass a short-term government funding bill this week though details of the package are still pending.

While a government shutdown appears unlikely, Senate leaders are still working to build support for including energy permitting reforms in the continuing resolution to fund the government, likely into mid-December. The energy permitting provisions are part of a promise Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) made to secure Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) support for the big reconciliation package. Manchin and other centrist Democrats are concerned about new climate and infrastructure projects getting held up by red tape.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is giving Senate leaders time to move a bill first, but said last week that, if need be, the House could move a funding patch without the energy provisions before government funding expires at midnight on Sept. 30.