Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday he will soon begin talks with House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama on a two-year budget deal.
“We’d like to settle the top line for both years so next year we can have a regular appropriations process,” McConnell said. “The president, Speaker Boehner and I spoke about getting started on discussions last week, and I would expect them to start very soon.”
The House and Senate this week are expected to pass a short-term funding measure that lasts until Dec. 11, giving time for the two branches of government to negotiate a bigger legislative deal that would last at least until the end of fiscal 2016 and possibly include a “top line” number for 2017 as well.
Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he has not talked to McConnell or Boehner about the negotiations but expects to be included when they begin. “If there are ever any talks I’ll be invited,” Reid said.
Reid praised the effort to try to come up with a spending level for two consecutive years. “I think that’s good,” he said.
The negotiations take place amid other looming deadlines, including an expiring debt ceiling that must be raised in order to pay the nation’s continued spending.
Reid called on Boehner to try to finish spending, debt ceiling and other pending legislation, and perhaps revival of the Export-Import Bank, which expired over the summer thanks to congressional opposition.
“Get it all done before he leaves,” Reid said. “Because the things I see in the paper, that’s quite frightening. People cheering for defaulting on the debt ceiling and calling for the government to be closed.”
Reid has been praising Boehner since the speaker announced he will retire Oct. 30, suggesting a more conservative leadership may take over when he leaves.
“I like him very, very much,” Reid said of Boehner. “I’m going to miss the cigarette smoke.”
