Political Quotes

“Senator McConnell and I have just finished a meeting. We are making good progress on being able to handle the issues that everyone knows are outstanding. We are not there yet, but we are very close. There will be votes tomorrow. There could be votes this afternoon also. I would also say, because this is a question that people will ask, the House is going to pass their bill around 3 o'clock--that is the omnibus, around 3 o'clock. Time is not always exact. There is a ruling from this White House and its predecessors that if one House passes a spending bill, as we are doing here, and there is a presumption that it will pass in the other body, the time is extended for 24 hours. So everyone does not have the worry about the government closing tonight. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, let me echo the remarks of the majority leader. As he has indicated, the administration takes a view that if the final appropriations bills pass one House this afternoon--we could have that vote today or it could be tomorrow--but the administration, I am told by the majority leader, takes the view that it has passed one House, there would not be a government shutdown. So I think everybody should be reassured that that is not going to happen. The conference report has been signed and we are moving toward completing the basic work of government through next September 30 very shortly.…”