McConnell: Congress seeking deal for permanent tax 'extenders'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that congressional negotiators are aiming to complete a deal to make several expired tax provisions permanent, rather than simply extending them for another year or two. McConnell, speaking to a breakfast hosted by Politico, declined to offer details of the deal in the works with Democrats, a companion bill to a $1.15 trillion spending measure needed by Wednesday to avoid a government shutdown. McConnell also said he is personally "not decided yet" on the merits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, but said the negotiated trade deal could have been better and faces political difficulties in an election year. (Reporting By David Lawder; Editing by Doina Chiacu)