lisa desjardins. pbs newshour. >> ifill: this was a day when questions about how professional sports leagues handle domestic violence were back on center stage. representatives from the major leagues appeared during a hearing on capitol hill. lawmakers said they must do a better job of cracking down. senator claire mccaskill, a democrat from missouri, admonished the record up to now. professional sports, with very few exceptions, have done little to hold those who commit this crime accountable. and perpetrators know that if they can only get their victims to recant, refuse to cooperate, threaten their financial future, if they can accomplish those things, then nothing will happen. >> ifill: earlier in the day, former baltimore ravens running vincent told lawmakers that as a child he and his brother saw his mother get beaten up repeatedly acted knocked unconscious. >> i've committed my life's work for the last 20 years as an advocate against domestic violence in an effort to keep others from experienci

our political reporter and editor, lisa desjardins looks at what the trillion dollar deal says aboutublican priorities and why it faces potential problems on both the right and the left. >> reporter: in the u.s. capitol, the day started with seeming confidence. >> tomorrow we'll pass a responsible bill that keeps the government running. >> reporter: republican house speaker john boener announced a deal just one day before the federal government faces a possible shut down. now there's a change this time. the republican-written bill has no sign of past shutdown flashpoints, not the healthcare law, not the national debt. instead republicans are flexing their muscles this time around by filling this bill with other victories. oklahoma congressman tom coles. >> i think we will have a very big vote on our side. and frankly there may well be some democratic votes, i would expect there will be. remember this is a negotiated product with a democratic senate. >> reporter: the deal funds just over $1 trillion in spending. it keeps in place another round of automatic budget cuts or sequester. al

politics editor lisa desjardins brings us what we can learn when politicians say farewell. >> reportere building is seen by many a symbol of dysfunction. but in the past month, those leaving it behind have made final arguments for its strength. >> mr. president, it is with great honor and gratitude... >> it has been a true honor. >> to represent ten million georgians who are the most wonderful people god ever put on this earth. >> now, the leaving becomes hard, and wrenching, and emotional. that's because i love the united states senate. >> i love the intensity of the work and the gravity of the issues. i love fighting for west virginia here. >> reporter: many, most in fact, defended the institution. >> i have been asked many times if i am leaving the senate out of frustration with gridlock. the answer is: no. >> the senate's not broken, oh maybe a few dents, banged up a little bit. >> reporter: but a few went out railing against one thing, money's influence. >> the cruelty of perpetual campaigns destroys our ability to fulfill our oath of office. >> days after the 2014 election you co

lisa desjardins pbs newshour. >> woodruff: joining us now to analyze this congress, how it performed, the washington correspondent for p.r.i.'s "the takeaway." and amy walter is national editor for the "cook political report." welcome to you both. >> hi, judy. >> so let's talk about where, as we watch what happened in this congress over the last few days, amy, the role of harry reid, the role of nancy pelosi, what does it is a about what the role is going to be going forward. pelosi has already been in the minority. harry reid is now going to be in the minority. >> there seems to be a big divide between the pragmatists and purists. the pragmatists were like harry reid in the white house saying we've got to deal. it is not the best deal in the world.ç but it's better than anything we're going to get once we're in the minority. so let's just all agree to push this forward. the purists which in the nancy pelosi category and a lot of the liberals that you saw withç elizabeth warren say it's worth having a fight over an issue like you saw "the wall street journal" bank issue, about write