Congressional bargainers have announced a bipartisan $1.3 trillion budget deal financing government agencies for the rest of this federal fiscal year. Lawmakers now have until midnight Friday to approve it and prevent the year's third embarrassing government shutdown.
Passage seems certain.
President Donald Trump was limited to $1.57 billion to begin constructing his wall with Mexico and take other border security measures. The bill does not contain steps to protect young Dreamer immigrants from being deported.
It also has no federal payments to subsidize health insurers in order to help curb premium increases this fall, just before congressional elections.
The compromise provides big spending increases for defense and domestic programs. That includes added money for veterans, infrastructure projects and attacking the growing, deadly use of opioid drugs.
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