House Speaker Agrees Budget Dealing 'Stinks'

Outgoing House Republican Speaker John Boehner has agreed with criticism of his new budget deal with the White House, saying: "It stinks."

But in one of his final acts in the role before he leaves Congress this week, he is intent on having the agreement passed.

The two-year accord, released on Monday night, would stave off a market-crunching debt crisis next week and a government shutdown in December.

It would also take budget deadlocks off the table until after the 2016 presidential and congressional elections.

But hardline Republicans are outraged the deal was privately negotiated with Democratic congressional leaders.

Paul Ryan, who is set to take over as Speaker this week, said the process "stinks".

"This is not the way to do the people's business," the Wisconsin congressman told reporters on Tuesday.

"Under new management, we're not going to do the people's business this way."

Mr Ryan did not say how he would vote on the accord, which would spare him a major headache in his first week in the job.

Mr Boehner told reporters he agreed with Mr Ryan's assessment.

"It stinks," he said. "This is not the way to run a railroad."

But the Ohio representative insisted it was the best possible deal, adding his goal was to "clean out the barn" for the next Speaker.

"We can't stop it," Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie said of Mr Boehner's deal on Tuesday morning.

"He's in league with the Democrats."

The legislation, up for a vote on Wednesday, would suspend the current $18.1 trillion debt limit until March 2017.