House GOP might waive 'read the bill' rule if deal is reached

The House might not have to wait the required three days to vote on a spending bill if a budget deal is reached, giving negotiators more time to hash out an agreement this week and avert a government shutdown.
 
Two Republican leadership aides confirmed to The Hill that the GOP has not ruled out waiving a rule it adopted this year mandating that members be given three days to read a bill before it is brought to a vote.

The requirement has put added pressure on congressional and administration negotiators, because legislation would have to completed Wednesday in order to be voted on by Friday, when current federal funding expires.
 
The potential for a waiver also applies to a stopgap measure that would extend federal funding for a couple of days to allow officials to complete paperwork on a long-term spending deal. President Obama said on Tuesday he opposes a GOP proposal to combine steep cuts with a one-week extension, but would be open to signing a shorter stopgap if an agreement on a long-term plan has been reached.
 
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had sent mixed signals Tuesday on the question of a waiver, saying that while the GOP was preserving its options, the three-day ruled remained in effect.
 
Asked on Wednesday if a waiver had been ruled out, Cantor spokeswoman Laena Fallon replied: “This is a real-time situation and we are keeping all of our options open.”
 
Meanwhile, negotiations were continuing, and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told Obama in a Wednesday phone call he was “hopeful” a deal could be reached.

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