U.S. senators plan to meet Tuesday to vote on a bill proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) to extend government funding and head off a shutdown by the end of the week, Roll Call reported Monday.Niels Lesniewski writes Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) said Democratic and Republican members will continue discussions with the goal to reach a deal before the continuing resolution vote occurs Tuesday afternoon.
Mikulski has described the Senate’s CR as a “Republican-only bill” and called for her caucus to reject the legislation because it lacks aid to an ongoing water contamination problem in Flint, Michigan, as well as contains a rider on political campaign financing policy, Joe Gould of Defense News reported Sunday.
The report said the bill includes $1.1 billion to fund anti-Zika virus programs and another $500 million to support relief efforts for those affected by flooding in Louisiana.
Gould said the CR also would provide full fiscal 2017 funds for military construction projects and veterans benefits but it would prevent the Defense Department from launching new programs or entering into new multiyear procurement deals.
