(CNN) Congress is readying to leave Washington as soon as this week until after the election without passing a coronavirus economic stimulus bill that members of both parties, businesses and hard-hit Americans all agree is desperately needed. South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the second-ranking GOP leader, and Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, the Republican who chairs the Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday they are trying to complete action on a House-passed government funding bill this week. That should allow lawmakers to leave town for much of the month of October and members up for reelection to hit the campaign trail, though they are expected to return to cast their votes to confirm President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick. The funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, is being shopped around to all Senate offices, senators and aides said, in hopes they can get unanimous consent to pass it as early as Thursday. Some fiscal conservatives, notably Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, are reluctant to give consent to pass these types of bills without being able to offer amendments and it remains unclear if they will this time.

Source: CNN September 23, 2020 19:07 UTC