By JM Rieger and Steven T. Dennis

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Tuesday he wants to negotiate a two-year budget agreement with the House and the White House to ensure a regular appropriations process next year, but would not specify how much leaders would agree to ahead of the next government funding deadline, expected to be Dec. 11.“We’re going to have to deal with all of these issues between now and Dec. 11,” McConnell said, responding to a question about the need for a debt ceiling increase later this year. “Whether — how much of that could come together before Speaker [John A.] Boehner leaves, I have no earthly idea.”