US Senate approved funding to avert a shutdown amid the elections
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Senate voted in favor of a bill providing temporary funding for the federal government through December 11 to prevent a shutdown. The document must now be considered by the House of Representatives, which has its own version.
The U.S. Senate approved a bill on temporarily funding the federal government that is intended to prevent government agencies from shutting down (a shutdown) on October 1 amid the elections. The document must now be considered by the House of Representatives, Politico reports, writes UNN.
Details
Ninety senators voted for the bill, while six voted against it. The document provides funding for federal agencies through December 11 at current levels, with the exception of certain areas.
The decision allowed senators to complete their work before the August recess. At the same time, the issue has not been fully resolved, since the House of Representatives and the Senate have already passed different versions of the temporary funding bills.
The House of Representatives must pass its version
The House of Representatives' bill provides funding for the government only through December 4. Thus, Congress will still have to reconcile the two documents before finally eliminating the risk of a shutdown.
The Senate version also lays the groundwork for a new confrontation at the end of the year over the plans of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to change the way federal grants are allocated, the publication writes.
The document prevents the administration from finally implementing new rules regarding grants during the period of the temporary funding. This issue will likely become one of the main subjects of disputes in Congress in December.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins said she would continue to oppose the administration's plans because, in her view, they could politicize the grant allocation process.
The bill also includes immigration-related provisions
The Senate version also contains a provision sought by Democrats. It prohibits allocating new funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Border Patrol under this temporary budget.
Earlier this year, Republicans provided these agencies with $70 billion through separate legislation.
This provision itself could become problematic during the vote in the House of Representatives.
Republican Congressman John Rutherford called it a potential "red line" and said he did not support the Senate version of the document.
The White House supported the Senate bill
The Trump administration officially supported the Senate bill on temporary funding.
"The White House called on all members of Congress to support the document so that the government could continue operating while lawmakers negotiate a full budget for the fiscal year," the statement said.
At the same time, the White House did not express similar support for the House of Representatives' version.
Thus, although the Senate has taken an important step toward preventing a shutdown on October 1, a final decision has not yet been reached. The main battle is now moving to the House of Representatives, where the bill may face opposition from both Democrats and some Republicans.
Supplement
It was previously reported that U.S. lawmakers were seeking to avoid a halt in government funding shortly before the midterm elections in November.