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Article snippet: The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on a two-year budget deal that would substantially increase spending and suspend the debt ceiling for a year. It is intended to avert a second government shutdown this year and gives lawmakers who wanted more money for the military a big win. Senate Majority Leader MORE (N.Y.) hailed it as a breakthrough after months of partisan fighting that stalled spending legislation and caused a three-day shutdown last month. “This bill is the product of extensive negotiations among congressional leaders and the White House. No one would suggest it is perfect. But we worked hard to find common ground and stay focused on serving the American people,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. Schumer said it marked the first sign of bipartisanship in months. “After months of fiscal brinksmanship, this budget deal is the first real sprout of bipartisanship,” he said. The accord increases defense spending by $80 billion in fiscal year 2018 and by $85 billion in fiscal year 2019, while raising nondefense spending by $63 billion and $68 billion. It suspends the debt ceiling until March of 2019, ensuring Congress won’t have to deal with the legislative headache again until after this year’s midterm elections. The Senate is expected to pass the deal on Thursday and send it to the House for final approval, hours before government funding is due to expire at midnight. The legislation has strong support in the Senate but faces a rockier path in the Ho... Link to the full article to read more