Senate

Senate leaders praise ‘progress’ in spending talks

by Jordain Carney - 12/14/15 3:36 PM ET

Senate leaders in both parties on Monday said progress had been made in talks to fund the government.

While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said they did not have a deal, they suggested it was close to being in hand.

{mosads}Reid said the closed-door talks on the omnibus legislation and the tax-extenders package lasted through the weekend and “everyone is working hard toward a bipartisan compromise.”

“We’re not there yet,” he added. “[But] it is just a question of when we do it, and I hope that it’s sooner rather than later.”

Reid and McConnell did not take any shots at each other, or accuse the other’s party of getting in the way of a deal.

“Members and staff from both parties are continuing their work on appropriations and on the tax relief measure,” the Republican leader said from the Senate floor. “I want to thank all who have been involved in this effort as it continues.”

Congress passed a five-day spending bill last week, giving lawmakers until Wednesday night to either pass an omnibus bill or another continuing resolution to give a deal more time to get through both chambers.

While some Republican senators suggested they were confident late last week that a deal could overcome the Senate’s procedural hurdles to meet Wednesday’s deadline, if the legislation isn’t introduced until Tuesday it could force Congress to pass a second short-term funding extension.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) warned reporters last week that without a “little cooperation” from all senators it could take a week to get the legislation across the finish line.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has pledged he’ll abide by the GOP’s three-day rule to give lawmakers enough time to read the massive bill.

Both chambers had been scheduled to wrap up their work for the year by Friday.

Tags Harry Reid John Cornyn Mitch McConnell Paul Ryan