Negotiators race to finish government funding bills after late clash on Homeland Security

By KEVIN FREKING
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Negotiators from Congress and the White House are scrambling to complete work on funding government agencies for the fiscal year and avoid a partial shutdown that could begin this weekend. Lawmakers passed the first portion of spending bills in early March, funding about 30% of the government. Now it’s focused on the larger package. In what has become routine, lawmakers are brushing against the deadline when federal funding expires, risking a shutdown. Negotiators have reached agreement on five of the six spending bills needed, but they have clashed on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for securing and managing U.S. borders.