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Shutdown

House Republicans are moving to pair a full year of defense spending with a short-term measure to avoid a government shutdown on Friday, effectively daring Democrats in the Senate to block it.

Democrats have demanded that any increase in defense spending be matched with increases to nondefense spending. They also want to reach an immigration deal before they agree to a broader deal on lifting the budget spending caps.

But House GOP leadership's decision puts Senate Democrats in an unenviable position.

Why wouldn't the republicans in the senate simply change the rule from 60 votes to a 51 vote majority, and get on with their business?

Ryan is avoiding questions. Sumptins up

Senate leaders on Tuesday said they are close to a two-year budget deal that could avert a government shutdown and set up a debate on immigration reform next week.

The deal would set spending levels for fiscal 2018 and 2019 and avoid the prospect of a second government shutdown Thursday when a stopgap spending measure expires.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) touted their progress after meeting in McConnell’s office Tuesday morning.


“I’m optimistic that very soon we’ll be able to reach an agreement,” McConnell told reporters, predicting that another shutdown this week is very unlikely.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” McConnell said of a possible shutdown. “I think we’re on the way to getting an agreement and on the way to getting an agreement very soon.”

Schumer said he also expected a deal soon that would set higher spending levels for defense and nondefense programs.

“I’m very pleased to report my meeting with Leader McConnell went very well. We’re making real progress on a spending deal that would increase the caps for both military and middle-class priorities on the domestic side that my colleagues have been fighting for.”

Schumer said some “outstanding issues” remain, but stressed he is “very hopeful” for a deal.

Under the proposed deal, the Senate would approve as early as Wednesday a stopgap measure to keep the government open for six weeks. The legislation would also include budgetary ceilings for defense and nondefense spending that reflect the Schumer-McConnell agreement.

Defense spending would be raised more than nondefense spending, breaking the dollar-for-dollar link that Democrats have insisted upon. Lawmakers said the defense-spending budget cap for 2018 likely would be hiked by $80 billion, while the nondefense cap would be hiked by $63 billion.

House Republicans plan to vote Tuesday night on a six-week stopgap that also includes a year of defense spending.

The current plan is for the Senate to vote on a stand-alone, yearlong defense appropriations bill as soon as Wednesday.

That vote will fail to reach the 60 votes necessary to end a filibuster, and is intended to demonstrate that the House bill does not have enough votes to pass the Senate, according to a senior Senate aide familiar with internal deliberations.

If Democrats block a bill, McConnell could then amend the House resolution to include the budget caps.

In the House, the deal seems likely to draw opposition from conservative Republicans, though members of the House Freedom Caucus said they needed to review details before taking a position.