From Reuters/Yahoo:
“US Congress struggling to
reach spending deal to avert weekend shutdown”
A fractured U.S. Congress
struggled behind the scenes on Wednesday to produce a massive spending bill to
fund defense, homeland security and other programs that lawmakers must pass
before the weekend to avert a partial government shutdown. Republican House of
Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and other House Republican leaders said
they hope to vote on Friday, leaving the Democratic-majority Senate just hours
to meet a midnight deadline by passing legislation that is expected to cover about
three-fourths of the $1.66 trillion in discretionary government spending for
the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. "Right now, if Republicans and
Democrats continue to work together in good faith to fund the government, I'm
hopeful we can avert a shutdown," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
said at a press conference. But the compressed schedule raised the possibility
of at least a brief partial shutdown after Friday. "My assumption, and
what I've told our members, is we're likely to be here this weekend,"
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. "That will be
determined, however, by how long it stays in the House." Johnson said he
hoped legislation would be unveiled as soon as Wednesday but warned that a vote
on passage would be delayed to give lawmakers time to review the measure.
House and Senate Republicans are
also discussing a possible short-term continuing resolution, or "CR"
- their fifth since September - to keep federal agencies funded at current
levels until after a two-week congressional break that is expected to begin on
Friday. "We should have the bill text - hopefully - by this
afternoon," Johnson said on Wednesday, as the window for action narrowed.
"I don't think we'll need a CR - I don't." Two weeks ago, Congress
narrowly avoided a shutdown that would have affected agricultural,
transportation and environmental programs, without resorting to a CR. On
Tuesday morning, Johnson and Schumer unveiled an agreement on funding on
Tuesday morning. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, pledged to sign it into law. More
than 24 hours later, congressional leaders were still unable to release the
legislation as aides worked behind closed doors to finalize the text of the
package, prompting hardline Republicans to complain they may not have enough
time to review the legislation. "We're told to pass the bill unread, not
understood and debated, or, alternatively, face the chaos and inevitable public
vitriol associated with a government shutdown," said Senator Mike Lee, a
hardline Republican from Utah, who backs a CR to April 12 to give lawmakers
time to review the text. House Republicans could waive their policy of waiting
72 hours before bringing legislation to the floor, not only to avert a shutdown
but to head off an exodus of lawmakers on the eve of the two-week recess.
Besides the departments of
Homeland Security and Defense, the bill would fund agencies including the State
Department and the Internal Revenue Service as it girds for its April 15
taxpayer filing deadline. But more political battles lie ahead as the nation's
$34.5 trillion national debt continues to grow.
^ Another day. Another threat of
a Partial Government Shutdown this Friday (March 22nd.) ^
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-congress-struggling-reach-spending-164323786.html
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