WASHINGTON: The US Senate could vote Wednesday on a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown, Democrats said, but without a provision to raise the federal debt limit and prevent a credit default.
Funding for federal agencies expires at the end of the day on Thursday and Senate Democrats are preparing temporary legislation to keep the lights on until Dec.
The bill, which includes $6.3 billion to help Afghan refugees and $28.6 billion in disaster assistance, is expected to find widespread cross-party support in both houses of Congress.
“We can approve this measure quickly and send it to the House, so that we can get to the president’s desk before the funding ends tomorrow at midnight.” Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats said in the chamber.
“The last thing the American people need right now to address issues so important is a government shutdown. This resolution will prevent that from happening.”
The House will consider the law after Wednesday or early Thursday.
Shutdowns typically mean sending hundreds of thousands of government employees home in the form of federal services and assets – but they could cost money rather than save it.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the 2018-2019 shutdown wiped $11 billion from the economy.
With the threat off the table, the Democratic leadership will be free to focus on raising the debt limit and passing President Joe Biden’s domestic priorities.
Lawmakers are scrambling to break a partisan stalemate on what is likely to be the first US loan default Which will put the economy in a downward spiral.
The government is likely to run out of cash on October 18, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned, unless Congress raises the federal borrowing cap.
But Republicans say they won’t help, despite pressing for hikes under Donald Trump, because they want no part in Democrats’ spending plans, which include a historically large $3.5 trillion package of social reforms.
The House passed a “continuous motion” to keep the funds available until December 3. But the Senate scrapped the plan on Monday, with Republicans objecting to the debt limit increase, which was included in the wording.
Republicans then blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to lift the debt limit by a majority.
Mitch McConnell, leader of the Republicans in the equally divided 100-member Senate, accused the Democrats of trying to “take money out of people’s pockets (and) spend it on socialism.”
“They want to print and borrow trillions of dollars, and then set it on fire,” he said.
Funding for federal agencies expires at the end of the day on Thursday and Senate Democrats are preparing temporary legislation to keep the lights on until Dec.
The bill, which includes $6.3 billion to help Afghan refugees and $28.6 billion in disaster assistance, is expected to find widespread cross-party support in both houses of Congress.
“We can approve this measure quickly and send it to the House, so that we can get to the president’s desk before the funding ends tomorrow at midnight.” Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats said in the chamber.
“The last thing the American people need right now to address issues so important is a government shutdown. This resolution will prevent that from happening.”
The House will consider the law after Wednesday or early Thursday.
Shutdowns typically mean sending hundreds of thousands of government employees home in the form of federal services and assets – but they could cost money rather than save it.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the 2018-2019 shutdown wiped $11 billion from the economy.
With the threat off the table, the Democratic leadership will be free to focus on raising the debt limit and passing President Joe Biden’s domestic priorities.
Lawmakers are scrambling to break a partisan stalemate on what is likely to be the first US loan default Which will put the economy in a downward spiral.
The government is likely to run out of cash on October 18, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned, unless Congress raises the federal borrowing cap.
But Republicans say they won’t help, despite pressing for hikes under Donald Trump, because they want no part in Democrats’ spending plans, which include a historically large $3.5 trillion package of social reforms.
The House passed a “continuous motion” to keep the funds available until December 3. But the Senate scrapped the plan on Monday, with Republicans objecting to the debt limit increase, which was included in the wording.
Republicans then blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to lift the debt limit by a majority.
Mitch McConnell, leader of the Republicans in the equally divided 100-member Senate, accused the Democrats of trying to “take money out of people’s pockets (and) spend it on socialism.”
“They want to print and borrow trillions of dollars, and then set it on fire,” he said.
.