With a government shutdown looming, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was "trying to appease his right flank" during a weekly, closed-door meeting with his GOP counterparts, according to a new report.
At the center of discussions is future funding for the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and various health agencies, which are at stake if an agreement between both parties can't be reached before the weekend.
Speaker Johnson touted an increase in military funding, expanding the number of beds in southern border detention centers, and cutting billions of dollars to pandemic-era programs and to the central United Nations agency that provides Palestinian aid, as among the provisions in the proposed $1.2 trillion spending package, Politico reported Wednesday.
"The final product is something that we were able to achieve a lot of key provisions and wins and a move in the direction that we want, even with our tiny, historically small majority," Johnson told the New York Times Wednesday.
On the other hand, Democrats said they secured additional funding for federal child care and education programs, and won more money directed toward cancer and Alzheimer research, according to the outlet.
Congressional aides are racing to put together the final text.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, "even with bipartisanship, it's going to be a tight squeeze to get this funding package passed before the weekend deadline," according to Politico.
"I ask my colleagues to be flexible - to be prepared to act quickly and to prioritize working together in good faith so we can finish the appropriations process," said Schumer.
The spending deal would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.
