Live updates: Shutdown negotiations down to the wire as Trump Cabinet picks make their case on Capitol Hill

Lawmakers are sprinting to pass legislation that will keep the government’s lights on ahead of the Dec. 20 shutdown deadline as President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks continue to make their case to senators on Capitol Hill Thursday.

Although a complete government shutdown is unlikely, members on both sides of the aisle have plenty of work to do to put forth an agreement. A handful of House and Senate committees will gather for hearings as these funding negotiations resume.

On Wednesday, however, the House did move forward with a $883.7 billion package to reauthorize Pentagon spending. But a provision banning a military health program that covers gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members has provoked outrage from some on the left. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure early next week.

Meanwhile, President-elect Trump’s Cabinet and senior staff picks, such as Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel, continue to make headlines as they head to the Hill to present their case to lawmakers, specifically leery Republican senators who could serve as hurdles to confirmation.

This debate in the nation’s Capitol all comes as national attention is fixated on law enforcement revelations about the suspected killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as well as unusual drones spotted in New Jersey.

Follow along for live updates about all these developments below.

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