Congress Poised To Punt On Government Spending Fight Over Border Wall

The U.S. flag flies at half-staff in honor of former President George H.W. Bush outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Monday. Top Hill leaders planned on a stopgap funding bill to avoid a partial shutdown at the end of the week.

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Congressional leaders are planning to delay a spending fight until after the memorial ceremonies for former President George H.W. Bush are completed.

House leaders are drafting a bill to postpone a potential government shutdown from midnight on Friday night to the end of the day on Dec. 21.

That gives negotiators an extra two weeks to finalize legislation to fund roughly a dozen agencies, including critical areas like the State Department and the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation. But it is the fight over money for President Trump’s planned wall on the U.S. border with Mexico that has been the main sticking point in the talks so far.