The House and Senate continue to negotiate a final deal on a four-bill spending package (“minibus”) that includes the FY19 Transportation-HUD (THUD) and Agriculture spending bills. However, lawmakers have been unable to reach an agreement because of controversial policy riders included in several of the bills. Congress only has a few days left to negotiate a deal on the minibus before federal funding expires for programs on September 30, the last day of the current fiscal year. Without an agreement, Congress is likely to fund HUD and USDA affordable housing programs through a stopgap funding measure running through December 7. Lawmakers plan to attach the stopgap funding bill to another spending package that has already been negotiated.