McConnell Unveils Deal To Avert Another Shutdown

The Washington Post reports:

Senate leaders have reached an agreement on a two-year budget deal, adding billions of dollars in federal spending. The bipartisan accord would lift statutory budget limits by more than $200 billion, provide tens of billions of dollars in disaster relief funding.

Senate leaders unveiled the deal Wednesday after months of negotiations — and after Senate Democrats agreed to set aside immigration policy demands.

The plan still faces head winds — particularly in the House, where conservative Republicans are balking at the increased spending and liberal Democrats want further assurances on immigration. The announcement came as Congress faces yet another government shutdown deadline of Thursday at midnight.

Business Insider reports:



House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that she would not support an emerging Senate budget deal that would avoid a government shutdown until House Speaker Paul Ryan commits to a vote on an immigration deal as well.

Pelosi said that while the budget deal contains “many Democratic priorities,” leadership would not urge members to vote for it until Ryan pledges to allow a bill to come to the floor that would codify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program.

“This morning, we took a measure of our Caucus because the package does nothing to advance bipartisan legislation to protect Dreamers in the House,” Pelosi said. “Without a commitment from Speaker Ryan comparable to the commitment from Leader McConnell, this package does not have my support.”