Congress looking to bolt early, return to campaign

Published September 18, 2016 4:01am ET



House and Senate lawmakers are looking to wrap up legislative business this week so they can go home ahead of schedule and focus on the November elections, but their exit hinges on a deal that temporarily funds the government and the effort to fight the Zika virus.

Efforts to reach a spending bill are focused in the Senate, where Republican and Democratic leaders as well as White House officials are trading offers back and forth on a plan to fund the government until Dec. 9. The bill will also provide $1.1 billion for the federal government to combat the Zika virus, a mosquito transmitted disease the causes birth defects and is spreading in the southeastern region of the United States.

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