The House is currently debating a measure to keep the federal government open for another two weeks. The current short-term package expires after tomorrow and another extension is needed by then to prevent large parts of the government from shutting down. The two-week extension, through December 22, would buy negotiators additional time to reach an agreement on a final funding package for FY2018, which started October 1.
A number of issues remain unresolved with respect to FY2018 spending, such as: the lack of an agreement on the overall amount of funding that will be available for the fiscal year; whether another short-term extension will be needed after the 22nd; the lack of an agreement on how much, or whether, to spend more on both domestic and defense discretionary programs; and, whether an increase in spending would only be for defense program.