Congress

Senate Reaches Deal to Avoid Government Shutdown, Schumer Announces

The bill will ensure the federal government remains open until December

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that senators have reached a deal on a stopgap government funding measure to prevent a shutdown.

"We are ready to move forward," Schumer said on the Senate floor. "We have an agreement on ... the continuing resolution, to prevent a government shutdown and we should be voting on that tomorrow morning," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

Without passing the bill, the federal government would face a shutdown after the calendar turns to Friday. The deal announced by Schumer keeps the government open through Dec. 3.

The House passed a government funding bill last week on a party-line vote of 220-211.

Read the full story at NBCNews.com.

The U.S. needs authority to continue borrowing money to fund the government - otherwise it could shut down on Friday. And according to a recent poll, it seems like Democrats would take more of the heat if a shutdown occurred. NBCLX Political Editor Noah Pransky explains what's going in Washington as Senate talks to address the debt ceiling are at an impasse.
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