Looks Like Republicans Got Clean CR Bill By Trading Food Bill

Sunday night the Senate passed the food safety bill that had been determined to be dead and from the headlines this morning it is beginning to look like Republicans traded their opposition to the food safety bill for a clean Continuing Resolution bill to keep government running until March.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky tells CNN's "State of the Union" that he and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada have a deal on the measure. The budget year began Oct. 1 but Congress hasn't passed any of its annual spending bills.

Last Thursday, Democrats pulled back a $1.3 trillion spending bill after Republicans decided not to support it. Republicans complained about special projects in the bill, its overall cost and the lack of time for debate.

Was the cost of getting Harry Reid, who still has control of the Senate agenda, to agree to a clean CR bill, one that didn't jam all the appropriation bills into one huge omnibus, the food safety bill?

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