A pair of key senators said Wednesday they are optimistic about the chances of clinching a deal on a long-stalled disaster aid package, while cautioning that they are still negotiating the details.

ADVERTISEMENT "We're trying to work out whatever differences we have, and we want to get something the House can go along with," Leahy said. "I think that with the things we discussed -- there's always a few little details -- we could come up with something that the House could accept."

His remarks come at a time when both parties have been trading offers.

"The vibes are better than they've been," he said, adding that the negotiations were "trending in the right direction."



Shelby caveated that an agreement wouldn't come together on Thursday, when the Senate will leave town for the week, and that "it might fall apart, but the vibes are better." The disaster aid package fell apart in the Senate last month after Trump criticized Puerto Rico’s handling of previous disaster aid money during a closed-door meeting with GOP senators. Shelby and Leahy, if they are able to reach an agreement, would need to get House buy-in; the chamber passed a disaster bill earlier this year that got sidelined in the disaster funding fight.The disaster aid package fell apart in the Senate last month after Trump criticized Puerto Rico’s handling of previous disaster aid money during a closed-door meeting with GOP senators.

The GOP proposal included $600 million for food stamp aid in Puerto Rico. Democrats wanted to amend it to include additional provisions like requiring the Department of Housing and Urban Development to release block grant funding and adding money to help Puerto Rico repair damaged water systems.