The Budget in Brief: Updates on Avoiding the Shutdown

Budget negotiations, which include Medicaid funding, have been in flux for weeks as Congress seeks to navigate broader, divisive issues such as funding for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border amid the rancorous setting of impeachment hearings. Here are three quick bullets summarizing where things stand as these discussions unfold:

• At this time, the House has introduced a four-week short-term funding extension, pushing the funding deadline to December 20.
• This would gain time for negotiations around longer-term funding, which are contentious due to issues such as the U.S.-Mexico border wall proposal.
• The White House signaled willingness to sign a short-term extension if funding levels do not interfere with the border wall. Last week House Democratic leadership met with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to negotiate and reported feeling optimistic a deal can be struck this week.