02/13/2019

Congress Awaits Final Border Bill With Shutdown Deadline Looming

Many of the unresolved issues are unrelated to border security

Spending negotiators may have reached an agreement on an outline to avoid a government shutdown, but the final legislation is still incomplete less than three days before the Friday deadline.

House and Senate leaders hope to vote before Friday on a seven-bill spending package that includes $1.375 billion in funding for 55 miles of fencing along the U.S. border with Mexico. That amount is far less than the $5.7 billion President Trump demanded. House and Senate negotiators announced an agreement on the funding bill framework Monday but have not produced final legislation.

Many of the unresolved issues are unrelated to the controversial border security package that has been at the heart of the funding fight. The outstanding issues include whether to include back pay for federal contractors who missed paychecks during the shutdown and an extension of the Violence Against Women Act, which is set to expire Friday.

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