Â鶹ŮÓÅ

Congressional leaders worked Tuesday to marshal support for a sweeping budget and debt deal that offered an end to fiscal fights with President Barack Obama but opened up top Republicans to criticism from conservatives, including GOP presidential hopefuls. ... For Republicans, the deal offered a path for the GOP-controlled Congress to avert blame from a potential default, instead securing at least some policy goals as a condition for raising the borrowing limit. ... The agreement incorporates measures aimed at extending the solvency of the Social Security program used to help support disabled people. The deal also would prevent an expected 52% increase in premiums for roughly 30% of the people enrolled in Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient care such as doctor visits. (Peterson and Timiraos, 10/27)

The deal hit a snag Tuesday night after many Republicans raised questions about whether the $80 billion in spending increases in the legislation would be fully offset by spending cuts and other revenue. Conservatives continued to fight the bill throughout the night, including attempting to kill the bill in a late-night hearing of the House Rules Committee. But Republican leaders worked out last-minute fixes that cleared the way for a Wednesday vote. (Snell, 10/27)

The House is poised to vote on a bipartisan pact charting a two-year budget truce and Republicans are set to nominate Rep. Paul Ryan as the chamber’s new speaker, milestones GOP leaders hope will transform their party’s recent chaos into calm in time for next year’s presidential and congressional campaigns. (Fram, 10/28)