Architects of the $85 billion budget agreement looked forward Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," trying to keep the momentum going as the Senate prepares to take up the deal this week.
The Senate met Sunday, and Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, filed cloture--or an effort to cut off debate. Reid's action sets up a vote Tuesday. If the bid gets 60 votes, debate will be limited to a maximum of 30 hours.
Budget backers think they have the votes, and Sunday urged others to accept the compromise.
"I come here with passionate things I care about. I know that Chairman Ryan comes with passionate things," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash.
"But if we just sit in our corners and yell at each other and that's all we get rewarded for, we'll never get to those big discussions about tax reform or strengthening our entitlements or how we fund things in the future or immigration reform or any of the other really big challenges for our country."
It's important, she said, that "what we're trying to do here is bring some respect to the word compromise. And if we can do that, I think it does pave the way for other people to do what we've done"
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., agreed.
We're actually starting to talk to each other, which is kind of new for this day and age. I think that's step number one," he said. "Step number two, this isn't a large agreement, but this is a symbolically large agreement.
" I would love to throw a few more zeros at the end of these numbers, but the fact that we're doing this, preventing shutdowns, passing bipartisan legislation -- it passed the House 332 to 94, majority of both parties. That's a good step in the right direction. You got to, you know, crawl before you can walk before you can run."
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