WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The top Republican and Democrat in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday said they had reached a deal to keep the government funded through the rest of the fiscal year that began in October, setting off a race to pass it before a weekend shutdown deadline.
The last sticking point was funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as a surge in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has become a major issue in the election rematch between Democratic President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer revealed the agreement in a pair of Tuesday morning statements.
It was expected to cover about three-quarters of discretionary government spending, due to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. It contains funding for functions including the U.S. military, transportation, housing and food safety.
But more fights lie ahead as the nation's $34.5 trillion national debt continues to grow. Biden and House Republicans earlier this month laid out proposed budgets for the next fiscal year, which begins in October, that offered sharply contrasting priorities.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Makini Brice; Editing by Scott Malone and Chizu Nomiyama)
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