Politics

Deal to avert government shutdown is 'pretty much done,' Democratic senator says

Key Points
  • It's just a matter of how long it will take to get the government funding deal finalized, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., told CNBC.
  • Heitkamp said after a couple of big concessions were made, the path for a deal become clear.
  • "If we didn't think that we were there with a negotiated deal, I don't think we'd be agreeing on an extension," she said.
Sen. Heitkamp: Don't think there will be government shutdown, deal has been done
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Sen. Heitkamp: Don't think there will be government shutdown, deal has been done

A deal between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to avert a government shutdown is "pretty much done," Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., told CNBC on Thursday.

"They're putting pen to paper, and it's just a matter of how long it will take to get the deal kind of finalized," she said in an interview with "Power Lunch."

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Mitch McConnell said the Senate expects to pass a short-term funding bill ahead of the late Friday deadline to keep the government open.

Heitkamp said after a couple of big concessions were made, the path for a deal become clear.

"Once … the Democrats were willing to do more on defense and the Republicans were willing to fulfill the commitment under the Affordable Care Act and not waste money throwing something at a border-security provision that wasn't actually going to enhance security — I think those were the two big things that needed to happen," she explained.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration dropped its opposition to an Affordable Care Act subsidy for low-income people. The White House previously stopped insisting on funding for a wall on the southern border as part of a bill to keep the government funded.

While the solution right now is expected to be a short-term extension, Heitkamp is optimistic about a long-term solution.

"If we didn't think that we were there with a negotiated deal, I don't think we'd be agreeing on an extension. It's just a matter of getting the paperwork done so that all the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted," she said.

—CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.