U.S. Congressional leaders sell spending package before shutdown deadline [Video]

WASHINGTON –

U.S. Congressional leaders from both parties looked to put a positive light on a $1.2 trillion spending package that lawmakers are working to approve before funding expires at midnight Friday for a host of key government agencies.

Text of the legislation had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon, but lawmakers and aides were expecting an official unveiling later in the day or early Thursday. The package, which is expected to pass, will wrap up Congress’ work on spending bills for the year — nearly six months after the fiscal year began.

This year’s dozen spending bills were packed into two packages. The first one cleared Congress two weeks ago just hours before a shutdown deadline for the agencies funded through the bills.

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Now Congress is focused on the second, larger package, which includes about $886 billion for defence, about a three per cent increase from last year’s levels. The …