House passes latest CR; Democrats won't travel for retreat

The House voted 245-182 Tuesday night to pass a six-week continuing resolution to avert a Thursday shutdown, though the bill is sure to be blocked by Democrats in the Senate, who have been working with their GOP counterparts on a bipartisan spending agreement.

House Democrats, meanwhile, will no longer hold their party retreat this week in Cambridge, MD, opting instead to remain in Washington in the event the Senate sends them a bill before the shutdown deadline.

The House CR, though it provides full fiscal year 2018 funding for the military, only funds the rest of the federal government until March 23.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told reporters yesterday he and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) were close to a final budget deal.

"I think we're on the way to getting an agreement and on the way to getting an agreement very soon," McConnell said during a weekly press briefing.