The claims of the bragging pols were vastly overstated, their preening as out of place as orange or purple hair. This deal is a political classic. It's what happens in state legislatures all the time. When the economy gets hot and revenue pours in, Democrats point to the good things the state can spend money on, Republicans to the tax cuts they could pass. If the political situation demands that the two parties reach agreement, the difference is split.
Some money goes to programs, some to tax cuts.
It's a perfectly reasonable way to compromise, and the politics of abundance beats the politics of scarcity every time. But it's not rocket science, and it rarely requires political courage. It just works. And this is a deal that just works. It happens that the federal budget was moving toward balance all by itself.