No clear spending deal as Congress inches closer to government shutdown

With the government funding deadline of December 20th approaching, Congress is increasingly likely to fail to pass a spending bill before the deadline. The Republican-controlled Senate is working on a spending bill that would fund government operations through mid-February and include a $1.4 billion increase in border security funding. However, the Democratic-controlled House is likely to reject the Senate’s plan in favor of their own proposal, which includes no increase in border security funding. With only a few days left before the deadline, it is looking increasingly likely that the two parties will fail to come to a compromise, resulting in a partial government shutdown. President Trump has said that he would be willing to consider a short-term spending deal if Congress can’t come to an agreement in time.