Progress but no victory yet on avoiding another shutdown

It is hardly a done deal yet, but there is reason for optimism as federal lawmakers work to avert another possible government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer say they have agreed in principle to spending plans for the fiscal year. The actual funding plans must still be hashed out, but the two parties have agreed the government will appropriate $1.66 trillion in federal spending. That is good news, because they didn’t wait until the 11^th hour to even come to the table. But the clock is ticking, with a deadline of January 19^th for one set of spending bills and February 2^nd for another. But this will be a challenge for Speaker Johnson to keep his caucus in line. He has a very narrow majority and will need nearly every Republican vote to get this across the finish line, and the hard-right Freedom Caucus doesn’t like this spending plan because it is too big and does not address the crisis at the border. And remember, the last  Speaker to accept a deal to keep the government operating lost his job because those same hardline conservatives. While a deal in principle has been reached, the hard work is just beginning.