In the News

The Senate is moving ahead on annual spending bills despite the lack of a bipartisan agreement on funding totals — starting markups next month, Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray said.

The committee will hold its first fiscal 2025 markup when the upper chamber returns from the July Fourth recess, she said in a floor speech this week.

The Washington Democrat added that she hopes both sides will resolve their weekslong impasse over funding totals, which has affected all 12 spending bills for next fiscal year. Democrats and Republicans have been feuding over whether defense and domestic programs should receive equal budget boosts.

And with federal cash set to expire on Oct. 1 and a presidential election approaching, Congress will almost certainly have to pass a so-called continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown later this fall. That would punt current funding levels and buy more time for bipartisan, bicameral government funding talks after Nov. 5.