House Republicans on Monday introduced a temporary stopgap spending bill to fund the government until Dec. 22. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the measure would be passed by the end of the week.
The bill maintains the current federal spending levels but includes a provision to ensure that states are not forced to suspend the popular Children's Health Insurance Program, which annually provides health insurance for nearly 9 million children in low-income families.
"This bill, one without any controversial policy riders, will continue government funding and give the House and Senate time to complete their work on a long-term solution," McConnell said on the Senate floor.
"It will keep the government open and functional, and it includes critical resources for our national defense and to give states certainty to continue the Children's Health Insurance Program while the bipartisan work on CHIP reauthorization continues," he added.
The two-week spending bill was widely expected, but time is running out for Republicans and Democrats to agree on a plan to fund the government past January.
Democratic leaders announced Monday that they will meet with President Donald Trump later this week to begin negotiations on a deal.
Negotiations are expected to center around Republican calls for an end to defense spending caps and Democrats' demands to reauthorize the CHIP program and extend protections for so-called dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., last week canceled a scheduled meeting with Trump after he attacked them on Twitter and announced, "I don't see a deal!"
— CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed reporting.
WATCH: House working on stopgap to extend government funding
