Congress races to lock in spending deal before shutdown deadline

Lawmakers returning to Washington this week face a critical government funding deadline, and – despite a deal on top-line spending numbers announced over the weekend – more work remains to avert a shutdown.

In a rare event, Congress is confronting not one but two government shutdown deadlines early this year – on January 19 and February 2.

In a sign of progress Sunday afternoon, the top-line numbers agreed to by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer include $1.59 trillion for fiscal year 2024, with $886 billion for defense spending and $704 in non-defense spending. They also agreed to a $69 billion side deal in adjustments that will go toward non-defense domestic spending.

The side deal brings the non-defense spending figure to nearly $773 billion, a Democratic source told CNN, with spending close to $1.66 trillion overall.

Following the deal’s announcement, President Joe Biden said Sunday, “The bipartisan funding framework congressional leaders have reached moves us one step closer to preventing a needless government shutdown and protecting important national priorities.”

In a sign of the potential issues facing congressional leaders, the far-right House Freedom Caucus called the deal a “total failure,” presenting a challenge for Johnson, who is leading an extremely narrow majority. Freedom Caucus members have been adamant that spending levels be cut dramatically more than what congressional leaders announced Sunday.

Agreeing on an overall spending level is a key first step in funding the government, but Congress will have to either pass a series of funding bills to keep the government open through September – a massive task riddled with potential pitfalls – or approve a stopgap measure known as a continuing resolution to extend funding – a possibility that lawmakers from both parties have…