WASHINGTON — The U.S. Congress approved a continuing resolution that would extend government funding for another week to buy time to wrap negotiations on the overdue fiscal 2017 spending package.

President Donald Trump was expected to sign the the weeklong stopgap spending bill, which expires May 5. Negotiations are ongoing for the 11 remaining fiscal 2017 spending bills.

Democrats are seeking domestic spending increases in exchange for a White House-requested defense increase and to exclude what they term "poison pill" policy riders. The defense increase in play is reported to be $15 billion, half of the $30 billion Trump requested in March.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declined to confirm the amount and suggested the matter is not entirely settled. "That's part of the discussions," Schumer said. "Democrats are not averse to an increase in defense, but we want an increase in other things, too."

The Senate approved the CR by unanimous consent an hour after the House had passed it in a largely bipartisan vote, 382-30. Democrats and Republicans roughly split the "no" votes.

"I am optimistic that a full-year appropriations package will be completed soon," House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., said following the House vote. "Congress must fulfill our constitutional duty and provide responsible funding for the federal government for the rest of this fiscal year."

Democrats had threatened to oppose the continuing resolution without a deal in hand, but House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer signaled support even though "there are still significant items that are not resolved." The Democrat from Maryland said he expected House Republicans to have a spending bill filed Monday night for passage on Thursday.

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Fiscal 2017 began at the end of September, but CRs have become the norm in Congress. Lawmakers would almost certainly have agreed to a full-year spending deal in the fall, but at Trump's request, GOP leadership punted to give the new administration a chance to add its stamp.

Along with Democrats, some Republicans — particularly pro-defense lawmakers — have groused the stopgap bill was needed. Because CRs generally bar new-start acquisition programs and continue funding at the previous year's level, they can be disruptive to the military.

"The continuing resolution is never anyone's first choice for funding the government. However, this is our best path forward," Frelinghuysen said.

Joe Gould was the senior Pentagon reporter for Defense News, covering the intersection of national security policy, politics and the defense industry. He had previously served as Congress reporter.

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