Remaining Seven FY19 Appropriations Bills – On Hold Until Lame Duck Session

When the House and Senate return on November 13 they will have seven of their 12 FY19 appropriations bills to complete work on before the continuing resolution funding these bills expires on December 7. The biggest unknown at this time is how the fight over border wall funding will play out.

The FY19 Homeland Security Appropriations bill was marked up and reported out of the House and Senate appropriations committees earlier this year, but didn’t see floor action. The House bill includes $5B for the southwest border wall while the Senate bill only provides $1.6B for the wall. The President wants a $5B down payment on his proposed wall in FY19. House and Senate appropriators may be working on a compromise that would fall between the $1.6B and $5B.

The outcome of the November 6 midterm elections could have an effect on the lame duck spending negotiations. If Democrats win either or both chambers of Congress, they could push for a spending delay into the new calendar year. But Republican leaders have promised the President that he will get his border wall funding by December. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) hasn’t ruled out a partial government shutdown if Congress can’t pass the remaining spending bills.

Earlier this week Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) said that while he is not against the wall, he just hopes “what we do is wise, you know, the way we spend our money.” The Senate will need support from Democrats to pass the spending bills in their chamber.

FY2019 Appropriations Bills Status