Appropriations talks chug along; stopgap eyed as backup plan

Lawmakers are aiming to roll out the first spending package Sunday ahead of the March 1 deadline for agencies covered under four of the annual appropriations bills, though there are still significant areas of disagreement between the parties.

Congressional leaders hope to announce something Sunday night, a source familiar with the talks said Thursday. Agencies covered by the fiscal 2024 Agriculture, Military Construction-VA, Energy-Water and Transportation-HUD spending bills face the March 1 deadline, with the other eight bills expiring March 8.

While lawmakers hope to finish the appropriations process by...