Senate Struggles To Pass Trillion Dollar Spending Bill

By Scott Neuman / NPR

Published December 13, 2014 at 7:46 AM PST

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Friday, as the Senate considers a spending bill.

Meeting in a rare Saturday session, the Senate is debating a $1.1 trillion package that would increase military and scale back financial and environmental regulations.

As The Washington Post notes: "While mostly liberal resistance had kept the bill's fate in doubt in the House, conservative opposition in the Senate is now the focal point. On the right, the resistance was led by those who wanted to use the bill to confront President Obama on his executive actions on immigration."

And, The New York Times says:

Become a KPBS sponsor

"Partisan maneuvering on Friday disrupted what both Democratic and Republican leaders had expected to be a relatively smooth path toward final passage, a late-night twist that is emblematic of the dysfunction plaguing the 113th Congress.

"Though the spending deal is still almost sure to pass, the Senate did not reach an agreement late Friday. Lawmakers are scheduled to being taking votes on nominations Saturday and work through the weekend to address unfinished business."

The government's current spending authority runs out at midnight Saturday, though it's expected that the Senate to extend that deadline until midnight Thursday to give them more time to wrangle over the budget bill.

One of the main sticking points comes from conservative senators led by Ted Cruz of Texas, who are pushing an amendment to cut off funds to the Department of Homeland security for carrying out President Obama's executive action to relax deportations. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has blocked the measure.