HOUSE CANCELS VOTE TO END GOV’T SHUTDOWN; SENATE LEADERS NEGOTIATING

With furloughs looming for many Department of Energy contractors, the House last night scuttled a vote on a Republican plan to end the government shutdown, leading Senate leaders to reconvene bipartisan negotiations to restart the government and extend the debt ceiling. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who delayed their negotiations early yesterday as the House appeared to ready to vote on its own deal, were believed to be nearing an agreement that would fund the government at Fiscal Year 2013 levels through Jan. 15, raise the debt limit and establish a conference to negotiate a larger budget deal by Dec. 13. However, questions remain about whether the deal between Reid and McConnell could come in time to raise the debt ceiling before the government hits its borrowing limit Thursday. “They had a basic agreement,” Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters, referring to Reid and McConnell. “All pointing in the right direction.” The House had proposed funding the government through Dec. 15 and raising the debt limit through Dec. 7 while abandoning plans for a budget conference, but other provisions related to Obamacare were not enough to win over conservatives, forcing House leaders to cancel a planned vote last night.