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Quick negotiation reopens government

It didn’t take long for Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to work out a deal get the federal government back up and running on Monday.

Democrats agreed to support the short-term spending bill that will fund government through Feb. 8 in exchange for a promise from Republicans to start debate on an immigration reform bill that will offer protection for the “Dreamers” — illegal immigrants who were brought here unknowingly as children, and who have lived all their lives as Americans.

We don’t know why this couldn’t have been figured out on Friday, before the government’s funding ran out, forcing the shutdown. Apparently it takes a tsunami of negative reaction from the rest of us here outside the beltway to push the two sides together.

We hope the two caucuses in Congress will use the three weeks ahead to fashion a long-term budget solution and spending plan, so we don’t have to go through this every month or so.

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