Paul Ryan Announces Plan To Avoid Government Shutdown

Top congressional leaders, including Reid and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), have been in talks over a $1.1-trillion spending plan that would fund the government through September 30.

Ryan wants to avoid a last-minute embarrassment in which he has to pull legislation off the floor because it doesn't have enough votes. "We've made it clear that if they want this oil export ban, there must be included in this policies to reduce or carbon emissions and encourage use of renewable energy". The FCC says big media companies are exploiting the agreements to evade restrictions against owning multiple stations in the same market. "Let's put 2015 behind us and move onto 2016".

This would set up a vote in the House on the massive spending deal - referred to as the omnibus - on Thursday. Details have not been publically released yet, but Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson says for agriculture they're trying to use the bill to address the EPA's 'Waters of the U.S.' rule.

"While we always strive to reach 218 with Republican votes, sometimes that is not possible with divided government, and the story of a bill that passed with 150 Republican votes is much more positive and assertive than the story of a bill that passes with 79 Republican votes", Scalise wrote.

Senate leaders said Tuesday the deal is now stalled because of GOP insistence on lifting ban on oil exports.

Also in play were about 50 lapsed and expiring business and individual tax breaks that the two sides were looking to extend, in some cases permanently.

What Boehner, McConnell, and Ryan in turn appear to have accomplished is to convince conservative activist groups and the members of Congress who listen to them to become satisfied with an apocalypse later rather than an apocalypse now.

"I'm hoping for the bigger deal", said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). "At the end of the day we're going to get this done". And then with appropriations resolved until the end of next October, GOPers can concentrate on their first love: getting reelected, and perhaps riding the coattails of a successful presidential candidate who could make that forgotten reconciliation bill the law of the land.

There were a number of topics discussed by the Republican leaders of the House and Senate during the POLITICO discussion Tuesday including the 2016 race as the final Republican debate of the year will be held in a few hours.

He told lawmakers the spending and tax extenders bills would not be posted until Tuesday, according to several lawmakers who participated on the conference call. That will require passage of another short-term spending bill since government funding expires Wednesday at midnight. "The obvious question is when are they going to file it over in the House".

"I didn't hear a yes or no in the answer", Hemmer replied.

Jordain Carney and Naomi Jagoda contributed.