Image : Republican Senator Richard Shelby ( Getty Images )

House and Senate negotiators have reached an “agreement in principle” to avoid a second government shutdown.


Though the four leading bipartisan negotiators declined to provide specifics on the nature of the agreement, Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby told reporters that both sides “got an agreement on all of it” when asked if the deal included funding for the Trump administration’s $5.7 billion wall construction. Though a Democratic aide told CNN there was “a ton of work to do once they have an agreement reached,” both sides are hopeful.

A Republican aide told reporters that negotiations “are clearly moving in the right direction.”


Nearly a quarter of federal government funding is set to run out at the end of the week. Without a deal, the lack of funding would trigger another partial shutdown. N egotiators have been meeting for weeks to arrange a deal that would provide funds for border security and immigration.

Top negotiator and Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said negotiators planned to hammer out a deal by the end of Monday night before drafting it on Tuesday.

“I think we both agree if we can wrap this up tonight, do it tonight, our goal will be to do it tomorrow,” Leahy said regarding his work with Shelby.

