US Congress strikes spending deal to avert government shutdown

The US Capitol is seen in Washington, DC, April 28, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

US congressional negotiators have reached an agreement on a massive spending bill that would fund the government through September 30 and avert a shutdown of federal agencies.

The bipartisan $1 trillion deal would add billions for the Pentagon and border security, but does not include funding for the construction of President Donald Trump's proposed wall on the Mexican border.

The legislation also does not withdraw funding for so-called sanctuary cities that do not fully cooperate with federal agents in deporting undocumented immigrants.

These are major victories for Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress who had threatened to block the spending bill over such “poison-pill riders.”

Lawmakers had approved a short-term stop-gap spending bill that prevented a government shutdown before a midnight deadline on Friday.

That temporary deal gave Congress one more week to negotiate a spending deal to keep the government functional for the last five months of the current fiscal year.

Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to vote on the budget deal in the coming days.

The package was agreed to after weeks of intense negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in Congress and the White House, all determined to avoid a devastating shutdown of federal agencies.

The failure to act would have closed national parks and laid off federal employees.

In a victory for Republicans, the measure provides $1.5 billion for border security and $15 billion in additional funding for the Pentagon.

Democrats, however, hailed the measure as a good deal.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (file photo)

"This agreement is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, said in a statement.

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader in the House, also praised the spending deal, saying in a statement, "we have made significant progress improving the omnibus bill."

The federal government was shut down in 2013 for 17 days over failure to pass a budget.