BUDGET/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/NATIONAL DEBT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House Republicans were expected to delay a Wednesday [12-20-17] vote on a stopgap spending bill, according to GOP aides, as a fight intensified over how to prevent a shutdown of the government before its funding expires at week’s end.
Both Republicans and Democrats were divided over their strategy and facing intense pressure from their parties’ most loyal voters heading into a 72-hour period ahead of the 12:01 a.m. Saturday deadline.
The House had been expected to make the first move Wednesday and vote on a spending bill that funds the military through next September but keeps the rest of the government running only through Jan. 19.
But GOP aides said Tuesday evening that they no longer expected Republican leaders to bring up that bill Wednesday, as it became evident there weren’t enough votes to pass it.
As the deadline drew closer, it appeared likely that many of the thorniest issues, including the fate of young, undocumented immigrants, would be pushed into January.”
-Kristina Peterson and Laura Meckler, “Republicans Plan to Delay Vote on Spending Bill,” The Wall Street Journal online, Dec. 19, 2017 09:50pm