Six months into FY17, House and Senate appropriators continue to work to resolve their differences and finalize spending levels for 11 of the 12 annual appropriations measures, having completed work only on the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill last year. Currently, the U.S. government is operating under a CR that extended funding at FY16 levels until April 28.
In an effort to meet the April 28 deadline and avoid a government shutdown, House and Senate appropriations are reportedly finalizing a compromise omnibus appropriations measure that incorporates all 11 of the outstanding appropriations bills. According to House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), a legislative package to wrap up the FY17 spending bills will be finalized "in the very near future."
The Trump Administration requested that Congress include a $33 billion supplemental appropriation for defense and border security, specifically to begin construction of a wall on the southern border of the United States and Mexico. However, congressional Republicans cool to the idea. According to Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), it is unlikely that the omnibus measure will include the requested supplemental defense and border security measure, saying "My guess is that comes together without the supplemental."
Some conservatives have also called for the FY17 omnibus to defund Planned Parenthood; however, Speaker Paul Ryan has rejected the idea saying such a provision opposed by Democrats could precipitate a shutdown crisis. Ryan said that he prefers to use budget reconciliation to defund Planned Parenthood because the change would become permanent law rather than having to be renewed annually.
Takeaway: It seems increasingly likely that Congress will approve an omnibus appropriations measure before the April 28 expiration of the CR currently funding the federal government. This will likely happen without the inclusion of President Trump's requested border security and defense supplemental appropriations request or a policy rider aimed at eliminating federal support for Planned Parenthood.
