Congressional Leaders Reach Deal to Avoid Government Shutdown

Congressional leaders unveiled a bipartisan plan Wednesday to avert a looming partial government shutdown at midnight Saturday.

Under the deal, lawmakers will work to pass a stop-gap resolution to extend the deadline to properly fund the government to March 8 for six of the 12 necessary spending bills and March 22 for the other six.

“We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government,” all four congressional leaders and the four top appropriators said in a joint statement Wednesday evening.

Congressional leaders have struck a deal to avert a government shutdown this week, agreeing to punt a pair of funding deadlines later into March to buy more time for spending talks.

Under the deal announced Wednesday, leaders have agreed to extend funding for six full bills covering the departments of Agriculture, Justice, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development through March 8.

Congressional leaders reached a deal Wednesday on a short-term funding extension to head off a partial government shutdown on Saturday. 

The deal extends funding for some government agencies until March 8 and the rest until March 22.