BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/GOVERNMENT/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Senate Republicans are drafting a stopgap spending bill to extend the funding deadline for approximately 25% of the federal government until February 8, according to three sources. The decision to move forward on the short-term plan hasn’t been finalized, the sources said. There are still senators who are urging GOP leaders to negotiate for a broader deal. A final decision likely won’t be made until at least Wednesday [12-19-18], the sources said, and President Donald Trump still needs to sign off on any path forward. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York told reporters earlier Tuesday [12-18-18] that Democrats would ‘seriously consider’ supporting a short-term spending measure. The proposal comes following a stark shift in the White House’s stance going into negotiations. Trump initially refused to budge from his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding, a nonstarter for Democrats that prompted the possibility of a partial government shutdown.”
–Phil Mattingly, Manu Raju and Caroline Kelly, “Senate Republicans drafting short-term deal to prevent government shutdown,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, December 18, 2018 8:04 am