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What We’re Watching: Feb. 8, 2018

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February 8, 2018 9:58 a.m.

Good morning. Today’s the day we could see another government shutdown.

It looks nearly certain that the budget deal will sail through the Senate, which votes at 11:30 a.m. It will be a much heavier lift in the House. The House Freedom Caucus is against the agreement — the hardline conservative group opposes any and all domestic spending hikes, though they support the large increase in military funding. That means, Alice Ollstein reports, that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) will need Democrats’ votes to get the legislation across the finish line. Democrats want Ryan to promise to hold a vote on DACA — as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has done in the Senate — but Ryan has so far refused to do so. The question today is how many Democrats will cave and vote for the bill anyway. The Democrats’ riled-up progressive base is watching closely, waiting to see if House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) eight-hour speech yesterday will be followed by real action, or whether it was simply a stunt. The government will shut down at midnight if they can’t reach a deal.

Here’s what else we’re watching today.

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