The Hill: Shutdown fight rings out the year
House and Senate appropriators are laboring to produce a $900 billion omnibus bill by the beginning of next week.
Failure to reach a deal would result in a government shutdown when current funding runs out Dec. 16. All sides stand to lose public support from such a standoff, which would confirm to many that Washington no longer functions.
House Republicans, eyeing approval numbers for Congress that have dipped into the single digits, are keen to avoid a bruising shutdown…
One aide said Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), the lead GOP Labor bill negotiator, is running for a Senate seat and cannot be seen as compromising with Democrats.
