Congressional leaders hope to avoid government shutdown with a newly unveiled budget deal

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• Judy Woodruff:

  Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working against the clock to figure out government funding bills and an assortment of other key measures before the end of the year.

  Our Lisa Desjardins brings us up to speed.

  So, hello, Lisa.

  We are just two days away from the government funding running out. Where do things stand?

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Well, part of the good news is that Congress, you — as you may expect, is going to punt its own deadline down the road.

  Moving through Congress right now, including tonight in the House of Representatives, is a bill to extend that deadline by another week. So what does that mean? We would have the biggest spending deadline of the year right up against Christmas Eve on December 23, not the first time.

  But now lawmakers have to get to work to actually finish funding by then. So let's talk about what the options are for this, one of the most important functions our Congress undertakes every year.

  First of all, one option they have is to pass what's called an omnibus. That's the traditional means of full-year funding agency by agency, Congress actually deciding what should go where. However, while there is an agreement in principle that was reached last night to the overall spending totals, there is an issue of timing, whether this several-thousand-page bill can actually be written and passed through both chambers in time.

  And there is a question of whether it can get the votes in both chambers. If it does not, what is the option? Well, another temporary funding bill called a continuing resolution, or a C.R. You might hear people use that language.

  Senator McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, has said, if there is not an omnibus through Congress by next week, by the 22nd, to be in particular, that there will have to be a C.R. going until February. That is something that a lot of people fear could do some damage, in and of its own.

  And here's Senator Jon Tester of Montana. He's an appropriator. He explains why.

• Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT):

  Compared to a C.R., night and day. C.R. is turmoil, uncertainty. It doesn't move this country forward like it should. With this funding bill, we're on a good track to maintain this country's economic and defense posture.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Among the differences, he said defense.

  There is general agreement to raise the defense budget. In fact, the authorization bill that's moving through Congress would raise it 8 percent. But that won't happen if it's a C.R., or a temporary funding bill. So there are a lot of folks who want an omnibus, that bigger bill, to move.

  However, there are other people, Judy, who say all of this spending is way too much. We're heading toward $1.7 trillion in federal dollars. And there now I bring you to Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Republican, who could slow things down.

  Here's what he said today.

• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY):

  The Democrats and big government Republicans will be offering you a Christmas dream. A Christmas tree in Washington is a bill that has something on it for everyone. You won't know what it is until you get it. You won't be able to read it and until it's done, but it will happen, because the only thing that invariably happens in Washington is they will get together to spend money.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Judy, I have often called this a rainbow, a huge bill appears out of nowhere. We do expect an omnibus to appear as a rainbow.

  But will it have enough time, especially if senators like Rand Paul try to slow it down?

• Judy Woodruff:

  I have that image in my head of the rainbow, Lisa.

  We know, Lisa, though, that these are not the only major issues out there hanging in the balance. What else is at stake right now?

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Let me hit a couple of them, first, the Electoral Count Act.

  What we're talking about there is the old antiquated law, which really came into kind of prominence on January 6. As you will recall, there was a theory that Vice President Pence could himself block the certification of the presidential vote. There you see him on January 6. That led directly to the insurrection because of that loophole, or, let's say, some say confusion in the law.

  There is a move to try and clear that up and close any kind of theory that the certification can be stopped as part of that function. Another big item we're watching, Judy, funding for Ukraine. Now in its 10th month, that war needs more funding from the United States, does Ukraine. And there is some $37 billion that Ukraine is waiting for that is also tied up in all this end-of-the-year business.

• Judy Woodruff:

  And, finally, Lisa thanks to the election results, we are just now days away from Republicans taking over control of the House.

  Where does the battle for their leadership stand?

• Lisa Desjardins:

  It's messy.

  And I think that we need to start talking about some particulars here as regards Kevin McCarthy. I want our viewers to understand something called the motion to vacate. Now, let's talk about what's going on with Kevin McCarthy. He's short right now of the number of votes he needs from Republicans to become speaker of the House.

  Now, the motion to vacate the chair is a motion to remove the speaker of the House itself. Some of the holdout votes who stand in the way of Mr. McCarthy becoming speaker of the House are demanding that it be easier for them to bring up that motion if they are unhappy with Mr. McCarthy later down the road.

  This exact kind of motion was a factor in the resignation of John Boehner. It was not actually voted on. But just the threat of it being raised was enough for him to leave. Essentially, think of this sort of as a motion of disapproval, something that could undermine the speaker.

  Right now, it takes a majority of all Republicans to do this kind of thing. But some in the Freedom Caucus and others who don't like Mr. McCarthy, and are making it very hard to get their votes say they want it to be easier. They want to be able to hold that threat over of him.

  I asked him about this today in his news conference. He said he wants to keep it the same. But the question, Judy, is, will he be able to do that? I talked to a longtime Republican member of Congress who doesn't talk to many reporters and who is a McCarthy ally, but who told me in confidence today it's not looking good right now.

  It's looking like January, at the least, will be messy. And they're honestly not sure how this all resolves.

• Judy Woodruff:

  Well, a lot of drama.

  I know you are watching that and so much else.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  It is.

• Judy Woodruff:

  Lisa Desjardins, thanks very much.

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