The 40-year-old ban on most U.S. crude oil exports will “very likely” be lifted in the government spending bill, and talks on the final budget deal are likely to continue through the weekend, a Senate aide said on Friday. The aide did not want to be identified due to the ongoing nature of the talks. When asked if it was likely that the oil export ban would be lifted, a spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said there was no final deal yet. “We do not have a final agreement on the omnibus or tax extenders,” said Reid’s spokeswoman Kristen Orthman. Leaders in both the House and Senate have been meeting behind closed doors in recent days to see if a deal can be […]

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