The U.S. House of Representatives may take up the U.S. Senate recently passed version of a supplemental appropriations bill soon. The move to take up the bill would bypass the more common practice of sending the bill through the committee process to be amended and changed by members.

The Senate’s version of the bill does not include $23 billion in education money intended to avert thousands of teacher layoffs at elementary and secondary schools.  Senator Tom Harkin noted that the Senate dropped this language because the 60 votes necessary to pass the provision were not there.

Another difference in the Senate version compared to the House version is the Senate bill does not include the $5.7 billion for Pell Grants in the House bill.

When asked about the differences between the bills, U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, “we’re going to work on it.”