Capitol negotiators returned to the table Wednesday after a day of closed-door calls and a public standoff that threatened to harden positions. Officials familiar with the talks said a draft framework is circulating that would extend funding, delay a handful of contentious provisions, and set deadlines for deeper fiscal reforms later in the year.

Leaders from multiple parties said the priority is avoiding disruptions to essential services, but the politics remain delicate. Lawmakers facing elections want to claim victories without owning unpopular trade-offs.

Analysts cautioned that “progress” often means nothing until a text is filed and votes are counted. Still, the renewed pace suggests negotiators believe the costs of failure now outweigh the benefits of brinkmanship.