Deadline Looms: Congress has three weeks before a broad swath of government funding expires on Jan. 30, and a Senate 'minibus' faces a major obstacle, Semafor reports. Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are blocking progress over plans to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research. President Trump’s veto of a Colorado drinking-water pipeline — criticized even by Rep. Lauren Boebert — has further complicated appropriations talks. Lawmakers may still pass additional funding tranches or adopt a short-term continuing resolution to avoid a funding gap.
Funding Deadline Nears as Colorado Democrats Hold Up Senate 'Minibus' Over NCAR Split
Congress has only three weeks in session before a broad swath of government funding expires on Jan. 30, and Senate negotiators face a major obstacle, Semafor reports. Colorado Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are objecting to advancing a 'minibus' package of appropriations bills in protest of a Trump administration plan to break up the state's National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
What’s At Stake
The senators raised the issue with Republican leaders but have not reached a breakthrough, stalling progress on the minibus and complicating efforts to approve multiple spending bills before the funding cliff. If the dispute is not resolved, Congress may have to adopt a short-term continuing resolution to keep parts of the government funded past Jan. 30.
Complicating Factors
President Donald Trump’s veto of funding for a Colorado drinking-water pipeline — a move criticized even by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert — has added another layer of difficulty to negotiations. Lawmakers have continued other constructive appropriations discussions, and the Senate could still pass additional tranches of funding, but the NCAR dispute remains a central sticking point.
Next Steps
With the deadline approaching, congressional leaders must decide whether to resolve the NCAR disagreement, push forward remaining appropriations bills, or opt for a temporary funding stopgap. Semafor is the primary source reporting on how the NCAR issue is affecting the minibus schedule.
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