House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid have reached a short-term spending deal that would remove the possibility of a government shutdown from the politically sensitive fall campaign season, the two announced Tuesday.
Under the agreement, Congress would agree to fund the government for six months when the fiscal year expires Sept. 30, setting agency spending for the year at $1.047 trillion.
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If approved, the deal will ensure that the government will keep operating without fuss when the year ends, a once-routine action that has become far more difficult amid Congress’ gridlock. It was reached nearly two months early, an especially quick resolution that demonstrated that neither party savored a major budget showdown weeks before the November elections.
Reid said the deal would provide the government stability in coming months and allow Congress to quickly turn to other pressing fiscal issues after the election.
“It puts this out of the way, and that’s very important,” he said, indicating that President Obama has signed off as well.
Democrats and the White House have insisted for months on the $1.047 trillion level — a spending cap agreed to by both parties in last summer’s deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
But some conservatives have chaffed, viewing the number as a maximum spending level and insisting that Congress should push actual spending for the year even lower. A budget for the full year outlined by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) set agency spending at $1.028 trillion for the year.
Still, GOP leaders have suggested for months that they would ultimately agree to the higher level for at least a portion of the year to avoid a showdown. They are hoping to win the White House and control of the Senate in November and to then use their new power to more dramatically reshape the budget.
They also argue that a six-month deal, lasting through March 2013, would deny Democrats the chance to use the threat of a shutdown as leverage during a broader tax and spending debate set to take place in December.
A Republican leadership aide said that the deal would prevent distractions from a campaign based on the state of the economy.
“Taking this issue off the table will keep the larger focus on jobs, the economy and President Obama’s failed economic policies,” he said. “That’s where Republicans win and Democrats lose.”
While Reid announced the deal Tuesday afternoon, he said more time was needed to draft it into legislation and it will not face votes in the House and Senate until September, after Congress returns from a six-week recess.
Under the agreement, Congress would agree to fund the government for six months when the fiscal year expires Sept. 30, setting agency spending for the year at $1.047 trillion.
Graphic
CONGRESSIONAL VOTES DATABASE: Explore members and votes in the U.S. Congress.
More from PostPolitics
Ed O'Keefe 2CHAMBERS | Proposals to fix financial woes exist, but are unlikely to get a vote before August recess.
Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake THE FIX | His foreign trip turned out badly. Does it matter at all to his chances this fall?
Felicia Sonmez TRAIL MIX | Obama’s underwater approval rating could be a major obstacle this fall, if recent history is any guide.
If approved, the deal will ensure that the government will keep operating without fuss when the year ends, a once-routine action that has become far more difficult amid Congress’ gridlock. It was reached nearly two months early, an especially quick resolution that demonstrated that neither party savored a major budget showdown weeks before the November elections.
Reid said the deal would provide the government stability in coming months and allow Congress to quickly turn to other pressing fiscal issues after the election.
“It puts this out of the way, and that’s very important,” he said, indicating that President Obama has signed off as well.
Democrats and the White House have insisted for months on the $1.047 trillion level — a spending cap agreed to by both parties in last summer’s deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
But some conservatives have chaffed, viewing the number as a maximum spending level and insisting that Congress should push actual spending for the year even lower. A budget for the full year outlined by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) set agency spending at $1.028 trillion for the year.
Still, GOP leaders have suggested for months that they would ultimately agree to the higher level for at least a portion of the year to avoid a showdown. They are hoping to win the White House and control of the Senate in November and to then use their new power to more dramatically reshape the budget.
They also argue that a six-month deal, lasting through March 2013, would deny Democrats the chance to use the threat of a shutdown as leverage during a broader tax and spending debate set to take place in December.
A Republican leadership aide said that the deal would prevent distractions from a campaign based on the state of the economy.
“Taking this issue off the table will keep the larger focus on jobs, the economy and President Obama’s failed economic policies,” he said. “That’s where Republicans win and Democrats lose.”
While Reid announced the deal Tuesday afternoon, he said more time was needed to draft it into legislation and it will not face votes in the House and Senate until September, after Congress returns from a six-week recess.