Democratic and Republican congressional leaders were engaging in a game of shutdown chicken Thursday, the day before the House’s expected vote on a seven-week stopgap bill due Sept. 30 to prevent a lapse in federal agency funding.
House GOP leaders were feeling good about their odds of getting the bill through their chamber Friday morning, although they still had a little work to do on their side shoring up concerns about added member security funds in the continuing resolution being too skimpy, at $30 million.
“Optimistic, but not certain,” House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., responded Thursday when asked for his outlook on passage.
