And the U.S shut down is over and all that was to come with it...Debt ceiling inclusive

Just a day before the federal government reaches its borrowing limit, Senate leaders announced on Wednesday that they have struck a deal to reopen the government and avert a potentially cataclysmic default on U.S. debt payments.

The final package, unveiled by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor, would fund the government through Jan. 15 and raise the debt ceiling through Feb. 7.

The bill also would strengthen income verification requirements for those who sign up for insurance under Obamacare, and it would provide time for both parties to appoint lawmakers to a conference committee to reconcile a broad budget resolution. The panel would be led by Budget Committee heads Republican Rep

Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, and it would be required to announce the result of its negotiations by Dec. 13. 

“This has been a long, challenging few weeks for Congress and for the country," McConnell said. “It’s my hope that today we can put some of the most urgent issues behind us."

Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Texas Senator Ted Cruz have given up their opposition to a Democrat-led bill that will ensure the country doesn't default on its debts ahead of a midnight deadline.

The bill still needs to be navigated through the House and Senate, but observers on Capitol Hill expect it to sail through in a stunning defeat for the GOP.

After a month of furious horse-trading in which Democrats accused Republicans of holding the White House ransom over Obamacare and their desired spending cuts, Boehner and his House caucus have walked away with nothing but humiliation.

Now the blame game will begin with the House speaker and the maverick Texan, Cruz, in the firing line. Republicans will complain that the two carried the nation to the brink and extracted no meaningful concessions from the aloof Obama, and Democrats will point at the GOP as the source of an embarrassing showing for the U.S. around the world.

Boehner is preparing a gracious way to end the embarrassing episode, while Cruz has said he will not block the bill when Senate leadership brings it to the floor.