House Democrats mull delay on spending bill vote

[left-of-center2012]

House Democrats may postpone a planned Tuesday vote on a bill to keep the government funded through Dec. 11 as talks resume with Republicans and the Trump administration over disputed farm assistance.

Talks are currently ongoing over the aid for farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic as well as nutrition assistance for children in low-income families, according to multiple Democratic aides. Depending on how the bipartisan discussions unfold, aides said that the originally planned vote could be postponed.

Time is increasingly running short, with only eight days left before current federal funding expires. The government would shut down on Oct. 1 if Congress doesn't pass a spending bill in time. Both sides have strong incentives to avoid a damaging shutdown a month before the November elections and in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

House Democrats introduced legislation on Monday that would extend current government funding through Dec. 11, but it does not include a provision requested by the White House to ensure farm aid payments continue flowing through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), which has a borrowing limit of $30 billion. Democrats have been opposed to including the CCC funding in the stopgap spending bill, arguing that it amounts to a "political slush fund" to soften the impact of the president's trade policies.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/517553-house-democrats-mull-delay-on-spending-bill-vote

[crickets]

1. Notice the Hill doesn't explain which members of Congress have issues with feeding children.

Also at issue in the spending talks is an extension of a program created by a coronavirus relief measure earlier this year to ensure that children who normally receive free or reduced-cost meals at school still have access while schools are closed for in-person instruction due to the pandemic.

[C_U_L8R]

2. If the govt shuts down, will there be SCJ confirmation hearings?