Capitol Republicans agree on a budget

Congressional Republicans agreed Thursday on a final 1983 spending plan that would hold next year's deficit to about $103 billion, GOP sources said.

The next step was to sell the plan to Democrats on the 25-member bipartisan House-Senate conference committee. The committee is charged with drafting a final spending plan that will be acceptable to both the House and Senate and may provide a note of confidence to the financial markets, which influence interest rates.