Lawmakers are returning to Washington with spending top of mind: They need to pass bills to provide more annual funding to agencies, while the threat of another shutdown of part of the government looms after Jan. 30.
Senators aim to move a five-bill minibus that would cover the bulk of discretionary spending. Such a large package won’t be quick to process, appropriators from both chambers and parties acknowledge.
The minibus plan would cover Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-HUD, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Interior-Environment programs and would represent a major win for appropriators amid a dysfunctional budget process.
House appropriators favor a smaller package that ...