Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellDemocratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' House to vote on resolution affirming peaceful transition of power Republican lawyers brush off Trump's election comments MORE (R-Ky.) is turning the Senate toward trying to pass a set of long-stalled appropriations bills.

"Congress has fallen badly behind schedule on appropriations. It’s been a month since my Democratic colleagues filibustered government funding here on the floor, blocking defense funding and a pay raise for service members. We need to get moving," McConnell said from the Senate floor.

McConnell said the Senate will try to take up two packages of spending bills next week. The first, as an olive branch to Democrats, will include domestic priorities. The second package will include a mammoth defense bill, which is considered a top priority for Republicans.

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"In order to meet Democrats halfway, the first House shell we will vote on will be a package of the domestic funding bills. If we can get bipartisan support to take up that domestic funding bill, we will stay on it until we complete it," McConnell said.

McConnell's announcement comes as top appropriators, tasked with funding the government, have been meeting to try to break the stalemate that led to a short-term continuing resolution.

McConnell added that he hoped Shelby and Leahy "can work together to craft" a deal on the package of domestic funding.

Shelby had first indicated on Wednesday that he believed they would try to move funding bills on the Senate floor this week.

"The talk on the floor is that we're going to do OK," Shelby added.

Lawmakers need to pass the 12 appropriations bills, or another short-term patch, by Nov. 21 to avoid a shutdown next month.

So far, the Senate has passed none of its fiscal 2020 bills, while the House has passed 10 out of 12.

The Senate previously tried to bring a mammoth package in September that would have included defense spending but Democrats opposed bringing up the bill.

Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment to the Senate defense bill that would have limited Trump's ability to redirect Pentagon funding toward the border wall without congressional approval.

It's unclear if Democrats will agree to pass the defense bill. Leahy said Thursday that "defense is going to have to wait a bit."

Shelby said Thursday that they had not yet reached a deal with Lowey on the top-line figures but their staffs were talking. Democrats have been fuming after Republicans forced through top-line spending figures that they felt padded extra money into the Department of Homeland Security.Shelby said Thursday that they had not yet reached a deal with Lowey on the top-line figures but their staffs were talking.

Niv Elis contributed.