Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that he will put a short-term stopgap bill to fund the government on the floor before the August recess – and warned that Republicans could pursue a party-line spending bill if they can’t reach a deal with Democrats.

Thune, during a weekly press conference, said that Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) was talking with Senate Democrats to try to strike a bipartisan deal on a bill to fund the government until after the November election.

“That is something I intend to bring to the floor for a vote before the August break,” Thune said.

In addition to negotiating with Democrats, Senate Republicans are talking to the White House about spending anomalies the administration wants attached to a funding patch measure. Thune said a Senate stopgap was the “more likely vehicle” because the House’s GOP-crafted stopgap does not include those special spending requests from the White House.

Thune also indicated he could use a House budget resolution to fund the government using the party-line reconciliation process if they can’t reach a deal with Democrats on a stopgap spending bill.

“It’s a possibility that if necessary we … could use it to fund government. I hope that’s not necessary,” Thune said.

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