Congress leaders seek to finalize spending bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers sought to reach an agreement on Tuesday on a massive government spending bill that Congress hopes to pass by Friday, with immigration issues such as President Donald Trump’s border wall and protections for young ‘Dreamer’ immigrants at the center of negotiations.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said he expected lawmakers to finish writing the $1.3 trillion bill later on Tuesday but that they were still finalizing some provisions.

Congress must pass an appropriations, or spending, bill before midnight on Friday to prevent federal agencies from shutting down when their funding runs out. But thorny issues linger, including whether to include more money for the border wall, and a rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey.

“There’s some unresolved issues. We’re working through them while we speak,” Ryan told reporters at a news conference, adding that he hoped to post the final version of the bill on Tuesday.

Separately, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he hoped a spending deal could be reached this week.

Lawmakers said negotiators were discussing whether to add money for a border wall with Mexico - possibly in exchange for some protections for immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. Congressional appropriators have already recommended $1.6 billion for this year to work on the wall that Trump is pushing.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen met with Democratic senators, while several Republicans planned to attend a meeting at the White House, to discuss issues around immigration.

Lawmakers said congressional leaders were also arguing over whether to include federal payments for constructing a New York-New Jersey railroad tunnel, a project known as the Gateway Program. Trump has threatened to veto the bill if it does.

Ryan said lawmakers were also discussing including a proposal to improve federal background checks for gun purchases. A Feb. 14 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, has given impetus to the bill, as well as another that would spend money to help schools defend themselves against gun violence but without putting new limits on weapons sales.

House of Representatives Republicans emerging from a closed meeting on Tuesday morning, meanwhile, said that there was little information provided by leadership about the state of play.

“Most of the discussion ... is trying to convince us that defense is so critical that we have to swallow everything else to give our soldiers and airmen and marines and sailors the pay raise they need and the equipment and training they need,” said Representative Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota.

“There’s no question it’s a very high priority, but it’s becoming a very difficult pill,” Cramer said.

A major boost in defense spending was authorized last month as part of a two-year budget deal and this fiscal 2018 spending bill intends to carry out that mandate, along with a requirement for increased non-defense spending.

Republican Representative Charles Dent said that if negotiators finish the bill by Tuesday night, it would be expected on the House floor on Thursday.