By Kristina Peterson and Natalie Andrews 

WASHINGTON -- Republican leaders signaled Tuesday that they were likely to exclude the most contentious provisions from legislation needed to keep the government running past April, de-escalating the partisan tensions that risk prompting a partial government shutdown at the end of next month.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) suggested that the House wouldn't try to strip funding from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the women's health provider, in a spending bill needed to fund the government after April 28, when current funding expires.

Separately, Sen. Roy Blunt (R., Mo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate GOP leadership, suggested that the April spending bill likely would exclude two other contentious provisions -- President Donald Trump's request to boost military spending and to start construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"My guess is that comes together better without" those requests included, Mr. Blunt said of the late-April spending bill.

The developments indicated that Republicans are starting to factor in Democratic demands as they move forward on must-pass legislation, as Democrats were sure to resist all three of the measures, absent changes.

The inability of House Republicans to coalesce last week behind a bill aimed at repealing the Affordable Care Act showed that the party will likely need to turn to Democrats in both chambers to supply the votes needed for a number of measures, including legislation to avoid shuttering the government.

Mr. Ryan said House Republicans would still seek to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood. But rather than put the provision in the must-pass April spending legislation, they would try to work through reconciliation, a procedural shortcut tied to the budget that allows bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority.

The shortcut would let Senate Republicans, if they can muster at least 50 votes, to pass the measure without Democratic votes. Republicans have a 52-48 majority in the Senate.

"We think reconciliation is the tool, because that gets it into law," Mr. Ryan told reporters Tuesday.

Reconciliation is expected to be used sometime later this year when Republicans try to overhaul the tax code, an issue on which party members remain divided.

Earlier this month, the White House sent a supplemental request asking for $30 billion in additional military funding for the current fiscal year, as well as $3 billion in immigration enforcement spending. Of that $3 billion, $1.5 billion would be for additional border-security measures, including the start of the border wall's construction.

It is unclear when GOP leaders would address Mr. Trump's requests for border-wall and additional military funding. Democrats and some Republicans have been skeptical that a physical wall is needed all along the border, which includes stretches of river and other natural barriers.

Rep. Randy Weber (R., Texas) said that while funding the border wall was popular in his district, he wanted to see how other aspects of the budget broke down.

"Let's be thoughtful, let's be smart," said Mr. Weber. "I realized the president campaigned on that, but is it realistic? That remains to be seen."

GOP aides cautioned that Mr. Blunt wasn't speaking on behalf of all House and Senate leaders, who are still in negotiations about what the April spending bill will include. But Senate Democrats have already said that they won't support a spending bill next month that funds the border wall. And Republicans will need at least eight Democratic votes in the Senate to avoid a government shutdown.

"Sen. Blunt is exceedingly knowledgeable about this process," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R., Fla.), a member of the House appropriations panel. "That reflects a mathematical reality, which is everything requires 60 votes in the Senate."

Democrats said that their discussions with Republicans over the April spending bill were showing progress. Lawmakers will be on recess for two weeks in April, returning just five days before the government's funding runs out, and so there will be little time then for protracted negotiations.

"They do have to get our votes, given the divisions in their caucus and given how the Senate works," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) told reporters on Tuesday. "So far, things are working out pretty well."

Some House Republicans said they would rather have the April spending bill include funding for the border wall, but they showed little resistance to deferring the fight on Planned Parenthood until later in the year. That may be because many House Republicans are intent on reviving their push to overhaul former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, which included a provision that would have gutted Planned Parenthood's funding.

"I am flexible on the approach" to defunding Planned Parenthood, said Rep. Mo Brooks (R., Ala.), who continues to press for a full repeal of the ACA.

Rep. Trent Franks (R., Ariz.) said he wants Republicans to "try to get back to the table" on health care.

The contours of the April spending bill are still taking shape. Lawmakers passed one full-year spending bill late last year, for military construction and veterans affairs. Eleven bills that fund other parts of the government expire next month.

The House has already passed a new defense bill for the final five months of the fiscal year, which is expected to be wrapped into the April package. Passing a new spending bill for the Defense Department is particularly important to lawmakers, because simply extending the government's current funding makes it difficult for the Pentagon to enter new contracts and reshuffle funding as needed.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 28, 2017 19:51 ET (23:51 GMT)

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