House leader Paul Ryan suggests he has enough votes to prevent government shutdown

'Part of it depends on the Democrats'

House Speaker Paul Ryan has expressed optimism about having the votes to pass a budget bill. (AP)

House Speaker Paul Ryan has said he thinks he has enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass a far-reaching budget deal and avert a government shutdown.

“I think we will,” Mr Ryan told radio show host Hugh Hewitt when asked whether he had the support to keep the government open. “I feel good. Part of it depends on the Democrats. This is a bipartisan bill. It’s going to need bipartisan support.”

The budget bill, which would raise spending caps and the debt ceiling, is expected to pass easily in the Senate. It will then be sent to the House, where Mr Ryan has been rushing to round up votes to ensure its approval.

The bipartisan deal was announced on Wednesday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, providing a rare moment of bipartisanship in Congress.

The agreement would raise the spending caps by about $300bn over two years, a congressional aide told the New York Times, with large boosts to military and non-defence spending. It would also lead to larger federal budget deficits, on top of the deficits already stemming from the Republican tax cuts passed in December.

The proposal quickly drew ire from conservative members, who have long complained about what they believe to be out-of-control spending by the federal government.

The Freedom Caucus – a group of about 30 conservative hardliners – has since announced that it will oppose the measure over fiscal concerns, meaning that Mr Ryan needs to rely on dozens of Democrats in order to pass the bill that would keep the government open for another six weeks and avoid another shutdown at midnight on Thursday.

But House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has said she will also oppose the deal unless she receives a commitment from Mr Ryan to immediately take up legislation to protect immigrants brought to the US as children – so-called dreamers.

President Donald Trump in September rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, the Obama-era policy that grants deportation reprieves to dreamers.

It is uncertain how many Democrats will follow Ms Pelosi’s lead and vote against the budget bill unless they receive concessions on immigration.

Mr Ryan on Thursday said Republicans will move on immigration legislation backed by Mr Trump after lawmakers finish with the current budget deal – a declaration that apparently still does not meet Ms Pelosi’s demands.

“To anyone who doubts my intention to solve this problem and bring up a DACA and immigration reform bill, do not,“ Mr Ryan told reporters, “We will bring a solution to the floor, one that the president will sign.”

Ms Pelosi on Wednesday appeared to set the record for the longest-continuous speech in the House, according to the House’s Historian office, to secure a commitment for debate on an immigration bill in the chamber.

Democrats have already expressed opposition to the President’s proposal.

Mr Trump has said he would grant about 1.8m dreamers legal status, including a path to citizenship – in exchange for increased enforcement, the construction of his long-promised border wall, and a restructuring of legal immigration channels that moves away from reuniting families and gives priority to higher-skilled immigrants.