The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Republican leaders offer one-month spending bill

January 17, 2018 at 12:09 a.m. EST
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) insisted that "we want to fix DACA in a balanced way," as negotiations unfold to reach a bipartisan spending bill by Jan. 19. (Video: Reuters)

House Republican leaders presented their rank and file with a one-month spending bill Tuesday aimed at keeping the government open ahead of a Friday night deadline, as hopes for a deal on young undocumented immigrants faded.

The bill would extend existing spending levels through Feb. 16 and include an extension of a popular children's health insurance program — aimed at winning Democratic votes — and a new sweetener for conservatives and Democrats alike in delaying several taxes included in the Affordable Care Act. Few lawmakers were enthusiastic about the legislation, but several described it as a necessary evil to avoid the first government shutdown since 2013.