a partial government shutdown later this month.

Our congressional correspondent, Lisa# Desjardins, So, Lisa, they -- lawmakers, they# reached an agreement on the overall## spending level for the rest of# the year.

What's in the deal?

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.# This is called the top line.

And it's important to unde funding that Congress controls.

It's called# the discretionary fund business of government, the size of government.# And this has been such a painstaking debate,## especially for Republicans who have# wanted to cut the size of government.

This is one reason Kevin McCarthy lost# his job over these levels.

So at what the deal was between Leader# Schumer in the Senate and new Speaker## Mike Johnson in the House.

They agreed to# these spending levels, about $1.7 trillio Now, here's what we're talking about.

More# of that goes to defense, slightly more,## about $890 billion, than to non-defense,# $772 billion, about that.

But what doe that mean?

Let's compare it to last# year's levels, almost exactly the same.

And that is significant, I will point out, and# our viewers probably noticed, a little bit of an## increase there for defense, about 4 percent of an# increase there.

But it's significant, b is kind of stopping the growth of government# in a way we haven't seen in a long time.

However, it isn't cutting back in the# way that House conservatives want to## see either.

So this is a risk either# way.

They have to try and now figure## out the details of which agencies# get what percent of that money.

GEOFF BENNETT: So, given that dynamic,## does this mean shutdown avoide LISA DESJARDINS: It's# definitely too early to tell.

And I think there are still Le t's look at the calendar and what# they have to navigate here.

The first## government shutdown deadline is January 19.# That math's not hard.

That's in so days.

That's the deadline for these# kinds of agencies, Ag, Energy, Housing.

Then, on February 2, every other# agency funding must be extended,## or else we will see shutdowns there.# What Congress has to do before those## deadlines is -- what House Republicans# have said they intend to do is write## 12 different appropriations bills# to get them through both chambers.

By the way, that is something that has not# happened in Congress, you know, this century.

want to do that, called regular order, but, right# now, it's just -- it's hard to imagine how they're## able to do that in the next two weeks.

Could there# be a short-term bill?

Yes, always, there could be.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he does# not want to do this.

So we're at that point again,## where this will test a House speaker.# Conservatives -- I talked to Chip Roy## earlier today.

He said he has# major problems with this deal.

But how about Democratic Leader Schumer in# the Senate?

Here's what he had to say today.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Both# parties reached this agreement without,## without resorting to the painful and# draconian cuts that the hard pa rticularly those in the# Freedom Caucus, clamored for.

LISA DESJARDINS: Yes, but again, that hard# right, however you want to describe them, Freedom Caucus really will be an issue# in terms of getting the votes pr essure to try and figure out this# deal and getting it through quickly.

I think that first January 19# deadline is going to be hard to make.

GEOFF BENNETT: And then adding to all of this,## there are ongoing talks ab LISA DESJARDINS: So much important news.

Today, we saw that again.

The in person.

But just in the past few# minutes, one of the key senators,## conservative Jim -- James Lankford# of Oklahoma came out saying he does not think they will be able to write a deal# this week.

Could we get an outline?

May But I talked to another Senator, Chris# Murphy of Connecticut, today about it.## It's clear it's just so complicated.

While# they have closed out some portions of they still are having problems on things# like parole.

What does that mean?

Well,## it also ties up Ukraine funding.

It's# a real problem as we get into January.

And some in the House say they# won't pass any spending deal,## what we were just talking about,# until there's a border deal.

So,## we're at a point that is really difficult to# see a way forward.

And it couldn't jus just be rocky, but really difficult for# the country the next few weeks ahead.

GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins# tracking it all, thanks so much.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.