The US government avoided a severe shutdown on Saturday, after Congress passed a short-term funding bill at the last minute and President Joe Biden signed it before midnight, according to reports.
The Senate approved the stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, by a final vote of 88-9, hours after the House passed it 335-91, with votes from both sides of the isle.
Biden finally signed it with minutes to go before many government operations would be shut down.
“Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis that would cause unnecessary pain to millions of hardworking Americans,” Biden said in a statement according to the publication.
The CR was welcomed by Chief Sen. Chuck Schumer.
“I have good news for the country. Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement and the government will remain open,” he said. “We will avoid closure.
President Biden signed a last-minute bipartisan bill that passed in the waning hours of Saturday night on Capitol Hill.President Biden/X
“Bipartisanship, which has been a trademark of the senate, won and the American people can breathe a sigh of relief,” he added.
The bill had overwhelmingly passed the House 335-91 hours earlier after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) dropped demands from his GOP colleagues for massive spending cuts, and instead relied on rare support from across the aisle. hallway.
The deal would increase federal disaster aid by $16 billion and keep the government open until at least Nov. 17 — but it does not include new funding to Ukraine proposed under the previous plan, which is at issue among Senate Democrats.
Before the vote, Senator Michael Bennet [R-Colo.] protested the move to stop the gap over concerns of a lack of funds for Ukraine, CNN reported.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) walks past reporters as he leaves an afternoon Republican caucus meeting at the US Capitol on September 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. Getty Images House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to reporters after a meeting of the House Republican conference following a series of failed votes on spending packages at the US Capitol ahead of the looming government shutdown in Washington, US Sept 29. 2023. Reuters
The passage of the bill ensures that thousands of federal workers will avoid the holiday and that non-essential government programs will remain and run on Saturday deals. In addition, more than 2 million active-duty reservists will not have to work without pay under the agreement.
President Biden praised the bipartisan deal, but blamed “extreme House Republicans” for dragging their feet “by demanding drastic cuts that will devastate millions of Americans,” he said in a statement.
“I want to be clear: we should not have been in this position in the first place. “Just a few months ago, Speaker McCarthy and I reached a budget agreement to avoid this type of manufacturing crisis,” Biden said.
The US government is poised to avoid a severe shutdown after the Senate voted to pass a short-term funding bill. Getty Images “Bipartisanship, which has been a trademark of the senate, won and the American people can breathe a sigh of relief,” Chuck Schumer said.AFP via Getty Images
He also said the United States “cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be disrupted” and expects McCarthy “to maintain his commitment to the Ukrainian people and secure the necessary support channels to help Ukraine at this critical moment.”
The package maintains government funding at its current 2023 level for the next 45 days and also extends other provisions, including for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Dropping $6 billion in aid to Ukraine from a bill previously proposed by the Senate was a blow to lawmakers of both parties who had pledged to support President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his recent visit to Washington.
President Biden blasted “extreme House Republicans” for “dragging their feet” during negotiations. AFP via Getty Images
Mitch McConnell, who has championed aid to Ukraine despite opposition from within his own party, said he would continue to pursue US support for Kyiv’s ongoing war against Russia.
“I have agreed to continue to fight for more economic and security aid for Ukraine,” McConnell, R-Ky., said before the vote.
House Republicans’ short-term proposal had previously fallen flat amid protests from both Democrats and some GOP stalwarts.
The Senate approved the stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, by a final vote of 88-9.AFP via Getty Images The bill passed hours earlier after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) dropped demands from colleagues Its GOP for massive spending cuts, and instead relies on rare support from across the aisle.MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Republicans have argued that the CR is essentially an extension of previously Democratic-held Congressional priorities, and slapped the House GOP majority’s pledge to pass 12 individual spending bills that place conservative priorities in the coming fiscal year.
The last-minute deal came together just a day after 21 House Republicans joined a united bloc of Democrats to reject a month-long continuing resolution that would have kept the government operating with a 30% cut in discretionary spending for everything except defense and veterans. ‘ agency.
McCarthy – whose 4-vote majority was squeezed by defections on Friday – has publicly pleaded with his caucus to support the stopgap measure, which includes some provisions on border security as a sweetener for conservatives.
Biden is expected to sign the revised bill on Saturday before midnight.
By Postal Wire
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
