House, Senate negotiators say they have framework for government spending bill

House and Senate negotiators announced they have a framework to negotiate the final details on a spending bill for a full year of government funding. 

House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, said in a statement that the framework would provide a path to passing what’s known as an omnibus spending bill next week. Now, she added the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will negotiate the details of the final 2023 spending bills “that can be supported by the House and Senate and receive President Biden’s signature.”

The House is preparing to pass a short-term extension of government funding, pushing the date from the current deadline of Dec. 16 to Dec. 23, which will give appropriators time to finish writing the final legislation. 

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, welcomed the deal, saying that Congress “cannot delay our work any further” because the “pain of inflation” is being felt by the government and by American families. 

The Republican vice chairman of the committee, Sen. Richard Shelby also released a statement acknowledging a “bipartisan, bicameral framework” that will enable negotiators “to begin the difficult work of reaching agreement across twelve separate bills.” Shelby and Leahy both acknowledged each other and DeLauro in announcing the agreement, but neither mentioned the House Republicans.  

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, told reporters earlier Tuesday that Democratic and Republican negotiators were “very close” to reaching a deal on the omnibus spending plan that would be “broadly appealing” and would meet the $858 billion funding level in the defense policy bill. But he warned that Congress needs to pass the long-term measure by Dec. 22, and failure to do so would require lawmakers to pass another short-term funding bill that keeps federal agencies operating into early next year, when the GOP takes control of the House.

Scott MacFarlane, Jack Turman and Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.