The Democrats want to add removal of the “Sequester Cuts” into the budgetary maneuvers.  Essentially, last year the Dem’s made a strategic blunder;  thinking they had the Republicans backed into a corner with the following proposition:  ‘Either raise taxes *OR* watch horrible cuts to Defense spending”.  
What Dem’s didn’t realize at the time was the strength of the conservative pressure on the traditional GOP.   As a consequence the “Sequester” was not seen as unpalatable as Harry Reid thought, the common sense conservative electorate shrugged off the threat and said fine let the future military spending shrink – and retain tax rates. 
The outcome was Dem’s proclaiming the Sequester was the end of the world.  It didn’t end.  And so today….. 

(Baseline for discussion stems from Reuters Article Outline ) – Some U.S. senators said they were closing in on a deal Monday that would reopen the government and push back the deadline on the hard Debt Ceiling/Spending decisions for several months, though many hurdles remained as a Thursday 10/17 deadline drew near.
The Senate’s top Democrat and top Republican both said they hoped they could soon reach an agreement that would allow them to avert a looming breach of the Debt Ceiling and end a partial government shutdown that has dragged on for 14 days so far.
“I’m very optimistic that we that we will reach an agreement that’s reasonable in nature this week,” Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor.
Lawmakers are working, and the media are selling the race against the clock, with U.S. officials estimating that the federal government could run out of borrowing capacity on October 17….  From out perspective ‘that’s not necessarily a bad thing’.
The plan under discussion would raise the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling by enough to cover the nation’s borrowing needs at least through mid-February 2014, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
It also would fund government operations through the middle of January, keeping in place the across-the-board “sequester” spending cuts that took effect in March, though government agencies would have more latitude to ease their impact. It would also set up a new round of budget talks that would try to strike a bargain by year’s end.
The goal here for Democrats is to unwind the spending cuts outlined in the sequester.

The above poll was from the 2011 debt ceiling hike – you can see how common sense Americans think continual raising of the debt ceiling is not well regarded.

Any deal would also have to win approval in the House of Representatives, where conservative Republicans have insisted that any continued government funding must include possible modification’s to Obamacare – a nonstarter for Democrats.

The deal would not resolve the disagreements over long-term spending and health care that led to the crisis in the first place.  If agreed to as currently outlined it might amount to a retreat for Republicans who have sought to tie any continued funding and borrowing authority to modifications with Obamacare.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky echoed Reid’s comments that a deal could come together soon.

“I share his optimism that we we’re going to get a result that will be acceptable to both sides,” he said on the Senate floor.

That comment from McConnell is enough to tell me the deal is bad for conservatives.  The White House postponed a planned 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) meeting with congressional leaders strategically preferring to give more time to Harry Reid who is likely to frame a more favorable construct for Democrats.
Reuters outline HERE