Plan to keep US government open until September 30
Congressional leaders and the White House have agreed on a deal to provide funding to the US government through September 30, according to people familiar with the matter. Lawmakers will now race to pass the deal before Friday’s midnight deadline for a partial government shutdown. The first task will be to put the agreement in writing, which could take several days. The compromise came on Monday night after the final hurdle in weeks of talks, the Department of Homeland Security’s funding issue, was resolved. The White House and Republican House negotiators signed the deal after tense talks over the weekend, during which the release of the package was delayed. While the text of the bill is awaiting completion, a brief government shutdown is possible over the weekend. Under House rules, bills must be published 72 hours before a vote, and the Senate requires the consent of all 100 senators to vote on any bill before the weekend. But House rules can be waived and senators can agree to vote on the articles if they are given the right to amend them. The deal includes about $1.1 trillion in funding for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State, Treasury, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.