Congress prepares bill to avoid government shutdown

WASHINGTON—With spending negotiations faltering, Republican lawmakers on Tuesday night unveiled another stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown. The government runs out of funding after Friday if Congress does not pass a new spending package. At the end of the last year, congressional leaders decided to punt the issue instead of voting on a compromise. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., unveiled a short-term spending bill to the Republican caucus Tuesday night. If passed, the bill would fund government operations through Feb. 16. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., began asking her members to vote against the plan because it does not provide a legislative solution to the expiring Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program and other Democratic priorities. But House Republicans don’t need Democratic votes to pass the bill. Conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus still remain skeptical of the plan, though, and GOP leaders are working to unite the party behind the bill. A vote in the House could occur Thursday, passing the legislation over to the Senate. The upper chamber needs 60 votes to pass the measure, giving Democrats leverage to force compromises or risk a government shutdown.