WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump is predicting that Congress will come together quickly to reconcile differences in a sweeping tax overhaul passed by the House and the Senate.

Trump said in a meeting with a half dozen Republican senators at the White House that he calls the joint House-Senate conference committee "the mixer." Trump said the end result will be "perfecto" and that something will come out of conference "pretty quickly."

The president added, "everyone gets together and they pick all the good things and get rid of the things they don't like."

In reality, the conference will involve tough negotiations over differences in the two versions of the tax bill that can be approved by both chambers.

Republican leaders have delayed a planned House vote on a short-term budget bill to allow themselves more time to quell GOP divisions over spending and avert a weekend government shutdown.

Signalling problems, the House Rules Committee postponed a planned meeting from Tuesday until Wednesday to work out debating rules for the budget measure. A House GOP leadership aide says the full House now plans to debate the legislation Thursday.

The bill is designed to keep agencies open until later in December while bargainers address disputes over spending levels and other issues like immigration that have become part of Congress' year-end work.

Trump and the lawmakers were also discussing trade, including ongoing talks over NAFTA.

Federal funding runs out at midnight Friday unless it is replenished by Congress.