Deal reached on short-term funding bill to avert government shutdown, source says

Congressional leaders have reached a deal on a short-term funding bill that would avert a government shutdown, a source familiar with the deal confirmed to CBS News on Saturday. 

The continuing resolution will fund the government through March 1 and March 8, the source said. The current funding deal, which went into effect in November, funds some federal departments through Jan. 19, and others through Feb. 2. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson was expected to brief House Republicans on the measure in a call Sunday evening, the source said.

The text of the bill is expected to be released Sunday night.

This would mark the third short-term spending deal Congress has reached since September. 

Democrats and Republicans have been far apart in budget negotiations, with Republicans seeking significant spending cuts. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday that he was moving forward with his own measure on a short-term spending deal.

Schumer said some lawmakers “actually say a shutdown would be a good thing,” adding that those who want a shutdown are trying to “bully the rest of Congress and the country to bend to their extremist views.”

Last weekend, congressional leaders said they reached a bipartisan deal on a topline government spending level of $1.66 trillion for the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year, which includes $886 billion for defense and $772.7 billion for non-defense. 

— Caitlin Yilek and Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.