Washington ( CNN ) -- When Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray held a news conference -- together -- to announce that they reached a deal on the federal budget , the ideological opposites received immediate praise for their cooperation . And they reached their agreement that would avert a potential government shutdown in January just two days before the Congressionally imposed deadline for doing so . The proposal that was heading for final congressional approval in the Senate on Wednesday is being held up for all to see as a rare illustration of bipartisanship in a deeply divided Washington that could lead to greater Congressional comity . It 's `` an important step in helping to heal some of the wounds here in Congress , '' Murray said when she announced the agreement with Ryan . No-drama budget vote : How can this be ? While she suggested the act of working together has the potential to influence the mood in Congress to be more agreeable , the deal removes a significant obstacle that has led to legislative gridlock so far this decade . For the next two years , Congress has a binding restriction on the amount of money it can spend . The deal split the difference between the amount that Republicans and Democrats wanted to spend -- $ 1.012 trillion for 2014 and $ 1.014 trillion for 2015 . `` This means we can fund the operations of government through regular , annual appropriations bills , instead of through last-minute , stop-gap bills that put the government on autopilot , '' said Sen. Barbara Mikulski , who sits at the head of the Appropriations Committee . A big deal . That 's a big deal . It 's the first time that a budget agreement has passed a divided House and the Senate since 1986 , according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid . `` Gridlock has got to end and it is ending , '' Reid told reporters . `` It 's really a step forward . '' But will it end gridlock ? `` No , '' Congressional scholar Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution said . `` I do n't expect it to have any lasting consequences , '' Mann said . The budget agreement only solves part of the problem . While it sets spending levels , it does n't actually allocate the money and does n't specify how the money can be spent . That battle will begin immediately . Appropriations Committee members must agree before January 15 -- the deadline set by Congress in October for a new spending plan to be in place -- on how to divvy up the money . For instance , Republicans will want more money for the military . Democrats will want more money for Head Start programs . `` We may not even be through with this , '' Mann said . And that 's not the only issue of contention to be worked out in January alone . Extended unemployment insurance benefits are set to expire December 28 , which will leave 1.3 million people without benefits and hit another 800,000 in the coming weeks . Despite the looming deadline , the issue was shelved in order to reach a budget deal . Reid vowed to address the issue immediately upon the Senate 's return in January . Republicans , however , are not keen on the extending the already expanded program . Again ? Before the budget deal even becomes law , signs of serious strife are already emerging around the debt ceiling , the nation 's borrowing limit , which is expected to be tapped in February . Since 2010 , the debt limit has sparked partisan fights and near-government shutdowns as Republicans want an increase in the debt ceiling tied to spending cuts . `` I ca n't imagine the Republicans want another fight on debt ceiling , '' Reid told reporters Tuesday . But they are . And the foundation is being laid for a major battle in the new year . `` We do n't want nothing out of this debt limit , '' Ryan said Sunday on Fox News . Over in the Senate , the sentiment is similar . A top Republican indicated that he expects his caucus to push for concessions related to reducing government spending . `` Every time the President asks us to raise the debt ceiling is a good time to try to achieve something important for the country , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday . An election year . Further complicating this so-called season of bipartisanship is that 2014 is an election year , historically a time when less gets accomplished in Congress as lawmakers become even more risk averse and spend even more time fund-raising and campaigning . Lawmakers up for re-election are reluctant to take risky votes . And a decent indicator of how Congress deals with next year 's prickly battles is that all seven Republican Senators facing primary challengers in 2014 were opponents of the budget deal . And in the House , where all members are up for reelection , primary challengers are also common , forcing lawmakers to appeal to party activists often by shunning compromise . And that is unlikely to subside . Even though House Speaker John Boehner surprisingly criticized conservative groups publicly last week , no one on Capitol Hill expects the Ohio Republican to become the champion of bipartisanship . To be determined . A host of issues still need to be worked out , including the Farm Bill , which affects the price consumers pay for groceries , payments to doctors who see Medicare patients , and immigration . And even the budget deal were to be reworked post-passage . Some lawmakers , including South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham , vow to reverse a provision that reduces retirement benefits for military families . Mann said the budget deal is a singular instance of cooperation because it played into both parties best interests . Both parties avoided being labeled obstructionists and extremists . `` This is n't about good feelings among members but strategic behavior by two parties , '' Mann said . Bipartisanship is , ultimately , a partisan play . Military retirees 'screwed ' in budget deal . CNN 's Gregory Wallace and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .
Bipartisan budget deal first to pass divided Congress since 1986 . It could pave the way for future bipartisanship . But contentious issues and an election year could hamper progress .