While Republicans and Democrats say there is agreement on an outline for a debt limit deal, the fine print is still being worked out, making it a waiting game on this Sunday for lamwakers in both the House and Senate.
"It feels like they're going to finish the deal today; we'll have a vote probably tomorrow," said Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) as he left the Senate floor this afternoon.
"They're still putting the finishing touches on it," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who also said he liked what he was hearing, but would not say he would support the final plan.
"What the deal is, is still up in the air," said Chambliss. "I'm not going to make a committment on it until I see what it is."
Those kind of quotes reminded me of one of the first interviews I ever did as a reporter back when the Congress was tackling the issue of tax reform during the Reagan Administration.
"What the big print giveth, the little print taketh away," were the words of one Chamber of Commerce official watching the happenings in Congress.
And that's true of this Sunday in the Congress on the debt limit as well, as lawmakers try to figure out what the deal might actually do.
Still, even without the details, Republicans seemed positive on the overall direction of the emerging agreement with the White House.
"There is a structure now that a lot of Republicans can support," said Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), who had just come out of a meeting with the number two Republican in the Senate, Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ).
While rank and file lawmakers left the Capitol on a hot and steamy afternoon in Washington, the cool corridors of the Congress were buzzing with high level meetings, as both parties tried to figure out the next step in this saga.
"I would not suggest a ball game, though," said Senate Leader Harry Reid to chuckles on the Senate floor, alluding to the Washington Nationals game just down the street.
As the Senate came into session, Reid said he was "cautiously optimistic" about a deal, but made clear that a "number of issues" must still be resolved.
"Nobody knows," when a deal might be reached, said Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), who flashed a big smile to reporters as he moved his way into the "Senators Only" elevator, repeatedly saying he had nothing to offer my colleagues.
"I don't have a gut feeling," Nelson said on when a vote might take place.
On the Senate floor, Reid went ahead and held a cloture vote on his revised debt limit bill. He only had 50 votes at the end of that roll call, not close to the 60 he would need to force final action.
Later in the afternoon, Reid joined other top Democrats in trooping over to the offices of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi; that visit came amid all kinds of grumbling from more liberal Democrats who don't like the shape of this deal.
So, the bottom line at this point - the deal still isn't final - but it could still be voted on tonight in the Senate, but no earlier than Monday in the House.
