WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressional leaders reached a tentative $1.3 trillion spending deal Wednesday to keep government agencies operating through September, unveiling legislation that would make good on President Trump’s promises to increase military funding while blocking much of his immigration agenda.
The release of the 2,000-plus-page bill Wednesday evening, after a two-day delay, touched off a legislative sprint as lawmakers try to pass it before Friday night, the deadline to avoid a government shutdown. And with a key senator unwilling to say whether he would agree to accelerate the deal’s consideration, it remained uncertain whether they would be able to meet the challenge.
There were other plot twists as the deal came together: As aides hashed out its final details on Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s support for the emerging compromise was suddenly cast into doubt, forcing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, to rush to the White House early Wednesday afternoon to allay the president’s concerns.
[Susan Collins’ proposed health care reforms stall again]
After the meeting, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that Trump had spoken to Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, “about their shared priorities secured in the omnibus spending bill” and confirmed their mutual support for the legislation.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Collins health proposal left out of $1.3 trillion budget deal,” an article by Washington Post staff writers Mike DeBonis and Erica Werner, please follow this link to the BDN online.
