Can divided Washington unite? The fractured GOP is the biggest obstacle

Faced with looming deadlines to produce a federal budget, the top Republican in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and the top Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, agree that Pentagon funding for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1 should be $886 billion. But this being Washington, their handshake deal differs on non-defense funding, with the Democrats pegging it at $773 billion, while the GOP says it is $704 billion. Still, that difference of $70 billion is still small compared to the chasm among Johnson’s Republican conference, which is seeing its very narrow margin get smaller...