Omnibus Bill 'Hanging by a Thread' as It Faces Five Major Hurdles

The $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government is "hanging by a thread," according to Democratic Senator Chris Coons, as the funding package faces significant hurdles.

A deadline is looming on Friday and if the spending bill fails to pass by then, there will be a partial government shutdown. Factors including upcoming inclement weather in Washington, D.C., and an immigration amendment are further complicating the issue.

On Wednesday, NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur outlined five obstacles to passing the bill in a tweet. He listed a "Dispute over an immigration amendment threatens to disrupt the coalition to pass it," a "fearsome DC storm could complicate vote timing," the fact that lawmakers want to go home for the holidays, the threat of a government shutdown and the fact that "Republicans control the House in 13 days."

"I think this bill is hanging by a thread," Coons said while leaving the Senate floor on Wednesday, according to NBC News' Frank Thorp V, who added that Republican Senator Ben Sasse said: "Omnis are always s***shows."

Here's a look at the five main obstacles facing the omnibus spending bill.

1. The Immigration Amendment

Republican Senator Mike Lee has brought forward an amendment designed to force the Biden administration to reinstate Title 42—a policy enacted by the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic that allows for the speedy expulsion of undocumented migrants.

The policy was due to expire on Wednesday but a group of Republican-led states appealed to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for a stay on that expiration pending further legal action on the matter. Roberts granted the stay and the Biden administration has asked the Court to rule against the GOP effort to extend Title 42.

Lee's amendment would cut funding for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas's office unless reinstated the policy. As Kapur pointed out on Twitter, if the amendment is inserted into the package, Democrats in the House would likely reject the bill.

Additionally, Senate Democrats want a 60-vote threshold to be reached before Lee's amendment can be approved, while Republicans want a simple majority. It's not yet clear how the matter will be resolved.

No vote on the package took place on Wednesday despite some expectation that it would and a delay in the Senate could lead to delays in the House with just days to go before a shutdown.

2. The Shutdown Threat

If a funding bill isn't passed by Friday, the federal government will experience a partial shutdown over the holidays. That has placed added urgency on the need to agree on a spending package.

Though there wouldn't be a full shutdown, a partial shutdown in 2018 and 2019 saw an estimated 380,000 federal employees furloughed, while around 420,000 went to work but did not get paid during the shutdown, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization.

Congress previously avoided a government shutdown by voting to temporarily fund the government for another week on December 15.

3. The New Republican Majority

If the Senate passed the omnibus spending bill, it will then proceed to the House, where members are expected to hold a late-night session in order to get the bill passed.

Democrats currently control the House majority but that will change on January 3 thanks to the November midterm elections. Some Republicans have expressed anger at the idea of passing a major spending measure during a lame-duck session.

A group of 13 House Republicans sent a letter to their Senate colleagues this week warning them that they would not cooperate with any GOP senator who helped to pass the spending package.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy—who is widely expected to become the next House speaker in January—has come out in opposition to the spending bill.

Those divisions could potentially deter Republican senators from voting in favor of it, but just 10 Republican votes will be needed in the Senate, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell supports the bill.

4. Home for the Holidays

With just days before Christmas, lawmakers are likely anxious to leave D.C. and head home for the holidays in order to be with their families for the festive season.

That could deter some lawmakers from engaging in potentially prolonged negotiation and debate over a funding bill that's more than 4,100 pages long.

The House's late-night session slated for Thursday is reportedly designed so that members can head home quickly afterward but that could also be complicated by something out of Congress' control.

5. Winter Weather

Lawmakers' plans to go home for the holidays could face a significant obstacle in the form of severe winter weather. There will be heavy rain in D.C. on Thursday and temperatures may drop by as much as 40 degrees on Friday with wind chills around 0 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday morning.

Those conditions are expected to cause some travel disruption with D.C. area airports preparing for the impact the weather could have on holiday travel.

Severe weather could complicate the ability to meet and hold votes, while potential travel disruption may deter lawmakers from staying in D.C. longer than they absolutely have to, especially if no deal on the spending package is in sight.

Despite significant obstacles, the threat of a shutdown could push lawmakers to pass the spending package before they go home.