"Bringing standalone appropriations bills to the floor would be a long and tortuous way to reopen the government, department by department. To pass a bundle of multiple appropriations bills - like the one that passed the Senate earlier this year - would require unanimous consent. But Thune could bring a single appropriation bill to the floor if it has already been passed by the House, like the Defense package."
""The top priority of everyone is getting the government reopened," Collins told Axios. "If we are stymied, I think we should be proceeding with appropriations laws." Collins called for the Senate to designate members for a formal conference for the trio of bills that passed the Senate earlier this year. A conference is how the House and Senate hash out differences between bills."
""There's nothing holding him back from doing that," Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said of Thune potentially bringing the Defense bill to the floor. "That does not change where we are right now in the CR," she added. "We still have to negotiate with the House. The President has to sign it, so it's a long way from anywhere.""
Bringing standalone appropriations bills to the floor would reopen the government department by department but would be slow and difficult. Passing a bundle of multiple appropriations bills would require unanimous consent in the Senate. Senator Thune said he is prepared to call up a single appropriations bill that has already passed the House, citing the Defense package as an example. Senator Collins urged that finished appropriations bills should be brought to the floor immediately and called for a formal conference to resolve House-Senate differences. Senator Murray noted calling up the Defense bill does not resolve the continuing resolution or obviate negotiations with the House and presidential signature.
Read at Axios
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