OnPolitics Today: Shut it down

Jessica Estepa | Paste BN

Another day, another looming government shutdown. But fear not: a budget deal might be looming, too. (But someone really should tell the president that.)

Just another Tuesday with OnPolitics Today. Keep up, subscribe here, let's go.

Déjà vu

Lawmakers have until Thursday at midnight to fund the government. If you feel like we've been here before, that's because we have: the House has passed its fifth short-term spending bill since October. Yes. Fifth.

BUT this time there's a key difference: Senate leaders from both sides of the aisle say they might have a budget agreement on their hands. We don't know exactly what might be in this agreement — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer won't go into the details because it's not finalized — but you can expect more spending on priorities for both parties.

One person they might want to loop in on their plans: President Trump, who's threatening a shutdown if Congress can't get its act together over immigration.

"If we don’t change it, let’s have a shutdown. It’s worth it for our country. I'd love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this taken care of," Trump said.

#TimesUp

The House passed Tuesday a bill that would require lawmakers to pay for sexual harassment settlements out of their own pockets instead of using office funds. (Yes, this has happened before.) The bill now goes to the Senate.

Its passage comes in the wake of sexual misconduct claims against powerful men across the country, including politicians. Several members of Congress have resigned or announced plans to retire because of allegations lodged at them.

Also on Tuesday: The House approved a resolution that forbids sexual relationships between lawmakers and their staffers and requires each office to adopt an anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy.

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