Appropriations

While they will seek to amend the House continuing resolution, Democrats said they would scale back their demands.

House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) pushed his committee to support the House’s continuing resolution that includes an appropriations bill for the Pentagon.

During the committee’s first hearing Tuesday on the yet-to-be-released 2014 budget, McKeon repeatedly stressed how important the Defense appropriations bill is for the Pentagon to have some budget flexibility as it faces across-the-board cuts under sequestration.

“Now this committee, last year, completed our National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),” McKeon said. “That bill has no effect unless the appropriations bill is passed.”

Rep. Xavier Becerra and others intend to vote against the spending measure because it keeps the sequester in place.

Bill gives flexibility to Pentagon, ensures FBI maintains staff, increases embassy security and gives Forest Service money to fight fires.

The State department had called for a "serious and sustained commitment from Congress" to address security after the attack.

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Both chambers of Congress will be back this week with sequestration in place and a government shutdown possible in just a matter of weeks.

When lawmakers return to work, they will be back after having failed to strike a deal to avoid at least the beginning of $85 billion in indiscriminate spending cuts known as sequestration.

While the deadline will have come and gone, the cuts themselves will only just be beginning, with many of the most dramatic parts, like furloughs of federal employees, still several weeks away. As a result, Congress will still have time to craft a replacement package if it chooses.

Meanwhile, Capitol Hill leaders will also have to turn their attention to the next looming deadline. On March 27, the government will shut down unless Congress can put together a continuing resolution to keep it funded.

The White House has issued a new memo guiding agencies on how to implement the $85 billion in budget cuts.

An administration statement says the measure attempts to shift focus away from Congress and "protect tax loopholes for the wealthy."

“If we get the CR at the post-sequester level that is a big win," says Rep. Jim Jordan.

A proposal that would give President Obama more flexibility to carry out sequester cuts is being met with resistance