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Govt shutdown averted, as Congress approves temporary funding

21-12-2017 < RT 46 278 words
 





The federal government will be funded until January 19, after the House and Senate approved temporary spending bills to stave off a government shutdown.



The Senate's 66-32 approval saw limited bipartisanship Thursday, following the US House of Representatives' 231-188 vote to approve the short-term spending through January 19, 2018. Some House Democrats withheld their votes in protest of Republican refusal to include an immigration measure to codify DACA, the deferred deportation protection for illegal immigrants who arrived in the US as minors.


This is the second time this month that Congress passed temporary funding. On December 8, a two-week spending bill was approved.



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The House bill contained $2.85 billion for the Children's Health Insurance Program and $750 million for community health centers and diabetes programs. The measure also extends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act program known as Section 702. An additional $4.7 billion was also appropriated to the US Department of Defense for ship repairs and missile defense programs for a short time period. Also included is a contentious “pay-go” waiver, a provision to suspend rules that bar the government from enacting expansive new programs – such as the GOP-led tax cuts – unless there is enough money in the current year's budget to pay for the programs. The proposed legislation will now be sent to the Senate for a vote, possibly Thursday night. Congress has a Friday midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown




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