Bipartisan effort produces funding measure

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Top Senate Democrats and Republicans have released a catchall government funding bill that denies President Barack Obama new money for implementing signature first-term accomplishments such as new regulations on Wall Street and his expansion of government health care subsidies. But it provides modest additional funding for domestic priorities like health research and highway projects.

Monday’s measure is the product of bipartisan negotiations and is the legislative vehicle to fund the day-to-day operations of government through Sept. 30 — and prevent a government shutdown when current funding runs out March 27.

It sets a path for government in the wake of across-the-board spending cuts that took effect March 1.

Passage in the Senate this week seems routine and could presage an end to a mostly overlooked battle over the annual spending bills required to fund federal agency operations.

The bipartisan measure comes as Washington girds for weeks of warfare over the budget for next year and beyond as both House and Senate Budget Committees this week take up blueprints for the upcoming 2014 budget year.

The first salvo in that battle is coming from House Republicans poised to release today a now-familiar budget featuring gestures to block “Obamacare,” turn Medicare into a voucherlike program for future retirees and sharply curb Medicaid and domestic-agency budgets.