House leaders introduce short-term bill to keep government open as spending talks continue

House Republicans introduced a short-term spending bill Wednesday to fund the government through Wednesday next week, buying negotiators enough time to blow by a weekend deadline and avoid a federal shutdown as they hammer out a long-term deal.

Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers, Kentucky Republican, said the five-day extension would lock existing funding levels into place.

Earlier this week, Republican leaders warned members that they might not meet the Dec. 11 deadline set months ago to pass a $1.1 trillion omnibus bill to avert a Christmastime shutdown and fund government agencies for a year.

They said they wanted to give lawmakers time to digest the sweeping spending bill before voting on it and leaving for the holiday break.

“While progress is being made on negotiations for a full-year omnibus appropriations bill, it is clear that more time is needed to complete the package,” Mr. Rogers said. “This short-term funding resolution will keep the lights on in government and maintain current operations for a few days so Congress can complete and pass an agreement.”

Earlier Wednesday, the administration said President Obama would sign an extension giving Congress an extra few days, but nothing beyond that.

“Republicans and Democrats in Congress have had ample time to negotiate this agreement,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. “The president is not going to sign a continuing resolution that gives them additional weeks or months to negotiate an agreement.”

At issue are certain policy add-ons, or “riders,” that are attached to the omnibus in an attempt to secure political victories as part of must-pass legislation.

Democrats said Republicans are pushing “poison pill” riders that place partisan agendas above sound fiscal policy, attempting to roll back Mr. Obama’s environmental agenda or freeze his plans to accept 10,000 more Syrian refugees.

Republicans, meanwhile, blamed Democrats for pushing Congress to the budgetary brink by protecting Mr. Obama’s regulatory overreach.

The parties also are working to meet halfway on a package to reauthorize certain tax breaks known as “extenders.”

Though members would like to make many of the breaks permanent, House leaders filed a fallback bill late Monday that extends them for two years.