SO NICE TO GET ALONG

Congress Thrashes Out $1.6T Spending Deal in Race to Avert Looming Shutdown

The deal is the first step in negating the Jan. 19 deadline, but congressional leaders aren’t out of the woods yet.

Congressional leaders announced a $1.59 trillion deal on a topline spending level Sunday, clearing an important hurdle as the government races to avoid a potential shutdown. The agreement by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer clears the way for lawmakers to pass legislation to cement the deal, which allows for $886 billion in military spending and $772 billion in non-defense spending. The deal is likely to face significant opposition from some Republicans, with Johnson acknowledging in a letter to colleagues that “these final spending levels will not satisfy everyone, and they do not cut as much spending as many of us would like.” Funding will run out for approximately a fifth of the government, including some key social safety net programs, on Jan. 19, with the remainder of the government running out of money on Feb. 2.