WASHINGTON — Congressional budget negotiators reached a hard-fought deal Tuesday aimed at avoiding another government shutdown, agreeing on a plan that would restore some money to programs hit by impending across-the-board cuts but trim spending on federal retirees and raise fees on airline travel.
Final passage of the $85-billion package, however, remains uncertain because of rising opposition from tea party lawmakers and influential conservative groups. A House vote, expected this week, will once again test the ability of Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to hold together enough Republicans to pass the compromise with support of the chamber's Democratic minority.
The two-year deal, negotiated by the GOP's budget point man, Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, and his counterpart in the Senate, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, delivered a rare bipartisan budget agreement after two years of financial brinkmanship in Washington.
"Because of this deal, the budget process can now stop lurching from crisis to crisis," said Murray, chairwoman of the Senate Budget Committee.
Ryan, the former Republican vice presidential candidate whose political credibility may rest with his ability to sway his conservative colleagues, praised the agreement because it will further reduce the federal deficit by $23 billion and contains no new tax increases.
"I see this agreement as a step in the right direction," Ryan said. "In divided government, you don't always get what you want."
The last budget standoff culminated in a 16-day shutdown in October, costing the government billions of dollars and driving Americans' approval of Congress to record lows.
The agreement would undo $63 billion of the automatic
Final passage of the $85-billion package, however, remains uncertain because of rising opposition from tea party lawmakers and influential conservative groups. A House vote, expected this week, will once again test the ability of Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to hold together enough Republicans to pass the compromise with support of the chamber's Democratic minority.
The two-year deal, negotiated by the GOP's budget point man, Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, and his counterpart in the Senate, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, delivered a rare bipartisan budget agreement after two years of financial brinkmanship in Washington.
"Because of this deal, the budget process can now stop lurching from crisis to crisis," said Murray, chairwoman of the Senate Budget Committee.
Ryan, the former Republican vice presidential candidate whose political credibility may rest with his ability to sway his conservative colleagues, praised the agreement because it will further reduce the federal deficit by $23 billion and contains no new tax increases.
"I see this agreement as a step in the right direction," Ryan said. "In divided government, you don't always get what you want."
The last budget standoff culminated in a 16-day shutdown in October, costing the government billions of dollars and driving Americans' approval of Congress to record lows.
The agreement would undo $63 billion of the automatic