Congress is completely consumed by the spending bill, which was to have been unveiled today. Indeed, it’s nearly halfway through FY 2018, and federal funding for the year runs out at midnight on 23 March unless Congress passes a continuing resolution (CR) appropriations bill. There have already been five stop-gap spending bills passed this year. While such situations are always high stakes, this one is particularly so as it will be the last must-pass piece of legislation prior to the midterm elections in November. Although the Republican majority controls the agenda, the leadership of the Democratic minority, which is hoping to make big gains in this election, is engaged in some tough negotiations to try to capitalize on the opportuni...

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