Reid: Hopes to adopt motion to proceed to government funding bill Tuesday

The Senate began debate on the 2013 continuing resolution that would fund the government through the fiscal year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he expects the Senate to jump the first hurdle to advance the bill Tuesday afternoon.

"We expect to adopt the motion to proceed to this bill this afternoon and begin the amendment process," Reid said Tuesday afternoon. "We’re going to take all amendments and work through them as quick as we can. … I hope we can have votes on every one of them."

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and ranking member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) announced the $984 billion deal that averts a government shutdown after March 27.

“If we do not pass our bill and then have an agreement by the House and Senate that’s signed by the president, we will have a showdown,” Mikulski said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Nobody on either side wants to do that. We’re absolutely committed to no government shut down.”

The House passed their own version, H.R. 933, earlier this month that sets the same spending cap, which includes the $85 billion spending cut from sequestration. 

The Senate amendment adds three full appropriations measures to the House version. The House bill funded defense, military construction and veterans affairs programs, while the Senate version adds appropriations for agriculture, homeland security and the commerce, justice and science funds. 

Mikulski said the Senate changes improve the House bill by slightly increasing spending for programs on border security, law enforcement, cybersecurity and scientific investments. She emphasized that the increases were small to keep the legislation “frugal.”

“Congress must learn to deal with the spending constraints that have become a necessary reality. Much more work remains to be done to secure our fiscal future, including fixing entitlement programs and reforming our tax code," Shelby said. “Today, however, we have taken the first step to show the American people that Congress can come together on important issues.

“Many Americans have lost faith that Democrats and Republicans can work together, and I think this bill proves it’s possible.”

This article was updated at 12:30 p.m. to include new comments from Reid.

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