No Spending Deal In Sight

Playbook: “We thought we were somewhere, but in fact, we are nowhere. Yesterday afternoon, we started hearing that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was going to file a so-called minibus spending bill — seven bills wrapped into one — with an increase in border spending. He didn’t, and Monday went by without appreciable progress in funding the government.”

“Time is dwindling, and Capitol Hill is waiting for President Trump to say what he would like to sign. At this point, it would be difficult to see Congress clear a seven-bill minibus in four days. So either the government shuts down Friday, or somehow both sides agree to a short-term spending bill.”

“The president isn’t going to get his $5 billion. No way, no how. So the question is what will he accept, and how much time will he give Congress to do it. The House isn’t in until tomorrow night. At the moment, Trump isn’t negotiating, nor is he stating how he’d like to see this standoff resolved.”