Article snippet: Lawmakers said on Monday night that they had reached an agreement "in principle" to avoid a second partial government shutdown set to begin on Saturday. “We’ve had a good evening. We’ve reached an agreement in principle between us on the Homeland Security and the other six bills,” Sen. MORE (R-Ala.) told reporters. Shelby announced the deal alongside Sen. MORE (R-Texas)—the top members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committee. The breakthrough came after the core four negotiators met three times on Monday night in a last-ditch effort to get a deal after talks appeared to unravel over the weekend with only days to prevent a partial government shutdown. Negotiators refused to discuss the particulars of the deal with staff expected to work frantically to release the legislation as early as Tuesday. Lowey said she hopes for the bill, which she called a "good product," to be released on Wednesday. A congressional source told The Hill that the bill will include $1.375 billion for physical barriers, the same amount included in the 2018 fiscal year bill. The tentative agreement, according to the source, also specifically prohibits the use of a concrete wall. But, senior Congressional aides separately noted that it will fund approximately 55 new miles of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley sector. If negotiators are able to hold an agreement together, it would mark a dramatic U-turn from earlier Monday when both sides were still divided ... Link to the full article to read more