Congressional negotiators said they agreed on a framework for a fiscal 2023 government funding package, with lawmakers saying the breakthrough in talks puts them on course to vote next week before leaving for Christmas break.
Late Tuesday, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D., Vt.) and House Appropropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D., Conn.) released statements saying that they had reached a bipartisan framework with Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.) that should allow for enactment of an omnibus spending bill that would boost funding for both the military and domestic priorities.
“We have a framework that provides a path forward to enact an omnibus next week,” said DeLauro. She added that the House and Senate Appropriations Committees would work around the clock to negotiate the details of the 2023 spending package, which includes 12 separate bills.
Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said a framework was in place and that lawmakers should be about to finish the omnibus by the end of next week “if all goes well.”
Lawmakers didn’t announce any details about the overall spending levels, a topic that has eluded negotiators for weeks. Republicans and Democrats have generally agreed to $858 billion in military spending—up from $782 billion appropriated for fiscal 2022—but have been at an impasse over nondefense spending. Democrats are seeking about $26 billion more in nondefense spending than Republicans want.