With federal funding set to expire Dec. 11, Sen. Patty Murray is calling for a short-term spending patch that would carry government operations into January, when Democrats take control of Congress.

The Washington Democrat, who is expected to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee next year, said Tuesday that a temporary measure would give the incoming majority an opportunity to write full-year spending bills reflecting voters’ priorities.

“Voters handed us a huge mandate to write these bills that reflect their priorities,” Murray said. She cited lowering costs, ending corruption and ending the war in Iran as goals Democrats could pursue through the funding process.

Murray wants to increase nondefense spending on childcare, education and infrastructure while restraining defense spending. She also plans to challenge President Donald Trump’s efforts to shift, withhold or cancel money appropriated by Congress.

Democrats are still weighing whether to use the December funding deadline to press for an end to the Iran conflict, including by making a cutoff of money for the military operation a condition of their support for keeping the government open.

“The devil will be in the details,” Murray said, adding that Democrats were “looking at all the options” for ending the war.

She said Democrats also want any December stopgap to extend language preventing the administration from finalizing plans to put political appointees in charge of approving federal grants.

Once Democrats control both chambers, Murray said, they would seek new safeguards in spending bills to prevent Trump from overriding congressional funding decisions. Those measures would include blocking unilateral cancellations of funds next fall, after the president canceled more than $1 billion this year. She also plans oversight hearings into the administration’s spending practices.

“I am going to make sure that we Trump-proof every one of our bills that we write next year, so this administration follows the letter of the law,” Murray said.

She is expected to lead the committee alongside Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who is in line for the top Republican position. The longtime friends have worked together over the past two years to resist Trump’s efforts to claw back congressionally approved funding.

Murray called their relationship productive and said she expected Murkowski to represent Republicans well while working with Democrats through their differences.