Senate adjourns to Monday with no deal

The House and Senate both finished legislative work early Sunday evening, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) saying negotiators were still far apart in talks to avoid January’s “fiscal cliff.”

Both chambers returned for a special Sunday session in hopes of closing a deal, but the day ended with no votes being taken on any bills related to the cliff. The House and Senate had plans to return early Monday morning in the hopes of reaching an agreement that can be passed before the end of the year.

The Senate left just before 7:30 p.m., after Reid warned that there is “significant disagreement” between Republicans and Democrats in negotiations.

{mosads}But Reid said there is “still time left to reach an agreement” and that he hopes Senate leaders can announce progress when the Senate resumes work at 11 a.m. Monday. “I certainly hope so,” he said.

The House returns at 9 a.m. for morning speeches and will start legislative work at 10 a.m. But like the Senate, the House finished without any firm schedule for Monday.

However, House Republicans have set out a list of 14 suspension bills that they plan to work on while Congress waits for a fiscal cliff deal, and members are likely to continue work on those bills in the morning. Republicans may also call up legislation that would extend farm programs, possibly for a year or a day, or a measure to extend just dairy programs.

In addition, the House is expected to pass a rule allowing immediate consideration of bills related to the fiscal cliff. Technically, the House had not adjourned as of early Sunday evening and was waiting for this rule to be filed before adjourning.

Normally, bills from the Rules Committee have to be available for a day before being taken up on the floor, but the rule will allow same-day consideration of any bill taken up Monday. The rule is only needed for Monday because same-day consideration is already allowed during the last three days of a session, which ends Jan. 3.