Senate Republicans are preparing to face resistance on spending bills in the coming weeks and have found a creative solution to avoid getting bogged down on the Senate floor. The idea, originating with Sen. Susan Collins, involves pairing Pentagon funding with House legislation sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Under this plan, Sen. John Thune would bring forward the ICC bill and attach spending legislation later in a procedural step. This allows leadership to overcome a Senate rule that lets any one senator object to bundling two or more bills into a package. Sen. Katie Britt has been raising this concept with her GOP colleagues.
Leadership is already planning for potential resistance, as they expect to run into hurdles soon. Thune plans to start floor action on the Pentagon bill next Tuesday, along with three others funding departments of Labor, Transportation, Justice, and Health and Human Services.
This strategy comes after previous challenges, such as when Sen. John Kennedy objected to spending levels in July. The current plan includes adding funding for Commerce and Justice departments, which were previously excluded due to an objection from Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
Appropriators aim to pass the next minibus by January 30, a short-term funding patch is set to expire, and they hope to avoid another government shutdown. However, senators are aware that progress might be slow, as seen in previous efforts when it took about 40 days to reach a compromise.
Note: I simplified the content by:
* Removing complex phrases and jargon
* Breaking down long sentences into shorter ones
* Focusing on key points and main ideas
* Using simpler vocabulary
Let me know if you’d like any further assistance!
Source: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/3882992/senate-eyes-loophole-speed-up-next-batch-spending-bills