Negotiations Continue.

December 12, 2007

Leaders in Congress are doing all they can to reach a compromise with the White House, pass the 11 remaining fiscal 2008 appropriations bills, and avoid another year-long continuing resolution. Democrats have abandoned their proposal to "split the difference" with the President-trimming their proposed discretionary spending by half to just $11 billion over the President's $932.8 billion request-as the President over the weekend declared he would veto such a bill.

Democrats are now working on an omnibus spending package that would be no greater than the President's requested level, which is the only circumstance for which the President has agreed to sign the bill. Members of Congress continue to disagree, however, on how to get to the President's level: cut all programs across the board or preserve funding increases and strip earmarks for Members' priorities. Also under consideration is what if anything to include in "emergency funding," as this type of funding would not need to fall under the budgetary cap.

In the meantime, another continuing resolution is expected to be enacted on Thursday to temporarily sustain funding for federal programs. This will be the third continuing resolution since October 1, 2007.

For more information on the funding levels contained in the original Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bills, please visit our funding chart. Questions? Please e-mail Emily Holubowich, Director of Government Relations.