U.S. Congress Cuts Deal On Spending, Averts Shutdown

Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on overall spending levels for the current fiscal year, potentially avoiding a partial government shutdown later this month, as reported by Kevin Freking for the Associated Press (AP).

The agreement secures an additional $16 billion in spending cuts compared to the deal brokered by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden, and it is approximately $30 billion less than what the Senate was considering.

The agreement aligns with spending caps for defense and domestic programs previously set by Congress as part of a bill to suspend the debt limit until 2025. While the agreement largely adheres to these spending restrictions, it includes concessions to House Republicans who deemed the initial spending limits insufficient.

House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that the agreement secures an additional $16 billion in spending cuts compared to the deal brokered by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden, and it is approximately $30 billion less than what the Senate was considering.

President Biden mentioned that the agreement moves the government one step closer to preventing a shutdown, emphasizing the negotiated funding levels that were signed into law the previous spring.

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