Budget Talks at an Impasse

Politico: “Though Senate and House leaders have been seeking a broader, two-year spending deal aimed at taking shutdowns and default off the table through the presidential election, negotiators left the huddle in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office far from a deal.”

“Democrats said Republicans were reluctant to do anything to get ahead of President Donald Trump, while Republicans said they couldn’t get a serious counteroffer from their Democratic counterparts.”

Playbook: “Does Trump realize how good of a deal Mnuchin is offering the Democrats right now? A yearlong budget deal coupled with a yearlong debt-limit package sidesteps the $100 billion in budget cuts Democrats so desperately want to avoid. It once again punts on Trump’s border wall. This seems like a too-good-to-be-true deal for Dems, given the complications in cutting a deal with the White House. Of course, Democrats have no incentive to accept this deal now, but come September, if it’s on the table, it might look pretty darn good with deadlines looming.”