Appropriators from both chambers of Congress advanced several of the annual spending bills needed to finance government agencies for the fiscal year that begins the first of October, but plenty of roadblocks could derail the process at any time. That includes the fact that Republican House leaders say they’re not giving up on getting a budget resolution adopted, even with the statutory deadline fast approaching on Friday and their party’s conservative bloc showing no signs of yielding to the higher levels of the last budget agreement. The House is expected to give itself an extension on the budget deadline, since no agreement has been reached.
The House Appropriations Committee approved by voice vote their Military Construction-VA bill, while two of its subcommittees advanced the Agriculture and Energy & Water bills. Similarly, the Senate, which normally waits on House-passed bills, is acting quickly on its own versions of FY 2017 measures. Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up its own versions of the Military Construction-VA and Energy & Water bills, which were approved by its subcommittees Wednesday. The Senate is expected to consider its FY 2017 Energy-Water bill on the floor next week.