By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - There are 11 days to Christmas, time for Congress to do the end-of-session roll in which proposals that grew cobwebs for months are now heading through the chambers at breakneck speed.
Tax cuts are closing in on the finish line -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled that resistance was waning among Democrats when he said there were "compelling reasons" to back the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is holding out the possibility that the START treaty will be ratified before lawmakers wrap up the lame duck session. Debate could begin as early as Wednesday, and Reid says he's got the votes.
Asked if he had 67 votes to ratify START and if he was committed to having the vote before this Congress ends, Reid said: "The answer is yes on both."
When confronted with START, a top Republican says STOP until the bill to fund the government is done.
Republican Senator Jon Kyl says the spending bill is a more urgent priority "given the fact that the current funding runs out at the end of the week."
The White House says the legislative pace means a replacement for economic adviser Larry Summers may not be named until next year.
That means potentially weeks of playing a favorite Washington parlor game -- Name That Official.
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Here are our top stories from Washington today...
U.S. tax-cut bill heads for approval in Senate
Senate Democrats and Republicans, in a rare display of bipartisanship, headed on Tuesday toward passing President Barack Obama's sweeping deal to extend expiring tax cuts for millions of Americans.
Democrats ready to push ahead with START treaty
Democrats were poised to push ahead with Senate debate on the new START nuclear arms treaty with Russia despite objections from some key Republicans about a lack of time to fully consider the issue before year's end.
Obama considers Levin, others for economic adviser
The White House has cast a wide net in its search for a replacement for outgoing economic adviser Larry Summers with a list that includes Yale University President Richard Levin.
Senate Democratic spending bill includes earmarks
Senate Democrats unveiled a 2,000-page spending bill that would fund the government until October 2011 and includes thousands of the pet projects known as earmarks that have become a symbol of wasteful spending for many voters.
Holbrooke death leaves hole in U.S. "AfPak" team
The death of diplomat Richard Holbrooke leaves the Obama administration with a worrying gap as it grapples with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Holbrooke, doctors talked Afghanistan before surgery
Richard Holbrooke told his doctors before surgery on Friday he was too worried about Afghanistan and Pakistan to settle down, leading one member of the medical team to offer to solve the problem while he was anesthetized.
Afghan review backs U.S. troop pullout from July
A review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan has determined that a troop increase led to important progress which may permit some soldiers to withdraw next July. President Obama met for nearly two hours with his national security team in a meeting overshadowed by the death of Holbrooke.
Retail sales boost 4th qtr growth prospects
U.S. retail sales rose for a fifth straight month in November as consumers hit the malls in droves at the start of the holiday shopping season, evidence the recovery gathered steam in the fourth quarter.
Fed keeps policy on hold, says recovery too slow
The Federal Reserve said the economic recovery was still too slow to bring down unemployment, reaffirming its commitment to purchase ${esc.dollar}600 billion in bonds to stimulate growth and create jobs.
What's a home worth? Pick a number, any number
There are problems in appraisal land that transcend weak housing markets and debt-ridden borrowers, and that are causing home buyers and would-be refinancers to miss out on low rates and dream houses. "There's been a pendulum swing in appraisals comparable to the one we've seen in mortgage credit, from foolishly lax to overly restrictive," said Walt Molony of the National Association of Realtors.
US says financing core part of Cancun climate deal
Despite tough economic times, rich countries must make good on short-term pledges of billions of dollars in financing to help developing countries tackle global warming.
Senate panel OKs Obama housing regulator nominee
The Senate Banking Committee has backed President Obama's nomination of North Carolina Banking Commissioner Joseph Smith to oversee ailing mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, paving the way for approval by the full Senate. Smith would replace Edward DeMarco, who has been FHFA's acting director since September 2009.
Justice Dept set to appeal healthcare ruling
The Justice Department said it intends to appeal to a U.S. appeals court a ruling by a judge in Virginia declaring a key part of President Obama's landmark healthcare law unconstitutional.
Bank regulators back new capital rule
Bank holding companies would no longer be able to raid their federally insured banking units for capital during times of crisis under a proposal issued by bank regulators.
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