As clock ticks, Hoyer says 'there's no deal yet' to avert shutdown

No agreement on a spending deal that would avert a federal shutdown has been reached, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Friday.

"There's no deal yet," the House’s No. 2 Democrat told NBC's "Today" show.

Negotiators for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) worked into the early morning hours Friday to reach a deal on a plan that would keep the federal government running past midnight, when its spending authority expires.

But those talks have failed to yield a deal, meaning Boehner and Reid are likely headed back to the White House on Friday for another negotiating session with President Obama.

Democrats say that the main hang-up is riders — measures attached to the underlying spending bill that would, among other things, eliminate government support of Planned Parenthood and curb the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulatory powers.

Republicans passed a bill on Thursday that would keep the government open for another week; it cuts $12 billion and guarantees Defense spending through the end of this fiscal year. Republicans labeled it a "troop funding" bill, and argued that Democrats have no reasonable objection to it, though they oppose a provision denying taxpayer support of abortion in Washington, D.C.

Democrats, meanwhile, have said they'll only entertain a "clean" continuing resolution, one that would maintain existing spending for a week and contain no additional riders.

Hoyer said he expects that the House, which is controlled by Republicans, might push forward with such a "clean" extension on Friday.

"I think that's possible and hopefully we'll get there," he said.

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