
Senate Votes to Advance Stopgap Spending Bill

WASHINGTON – The Senate voted to advance a stopgap spending bill Tuesday night, the penultimate step to avoiding a government shutdown at midnight Wednesday.
The vote to limit debate on the measure paves the way for a final vote in the chamber on Wednesday afternoon.
The House overwhelmingly approved the continuing resolution, called the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, by a vote of 359-57 last week, after the Senate failed to pass any of the 12 spending bills for FY 2021.
The spending bill, which would keep the government funded through December 11, is the result of bipartisan negotiations and an agreement between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Once voted on by the Senate, it will be sent to President Donald Trump for enactment, thus eliminating the threat of a government shutdown prior to the November election.
The final deal came together after Speaker Pelosi restored farm aid funding sought by the administration, which has sparked the ire of Democrats who said it plays political favorites as it gives out bailout money to farmers and ranchers.
In return, Pelosi won COVID-related food aid for the poor, including an extension of a higher food benefit for families whose children are unable to receive free or reduced lunches because schools are closed over the coronavirus.
Another add-on would permit states to remove hurdles to food stamps and nutrition aid to low-income mothers that are more difficult to clear during the pandemic.
In The News
Health
Voting
Congress
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of Moderna Inc. defended his plan to quadruple the price of the COVID-19 vaccine during... Read More
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of Moderna Inc. defended his plan to quadruple the price of the COVID-19 vaccine during a Senate hearing Wednesday by saying his company is preparing for a sharp decline in demand. With as much as a 90% drop in customers as... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday issued his first veto since taking office, rejecting a bill that would have... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday issued his first veto since taking office, rejecting a bill that would have reversed a Labor Department rule that allowed fiduciary planners to consider environmental, social and governance factors when investing. “This bill would risk your retirement savings by... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether he’ll sign legislation that unanimously passed... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether he’ll sign legislation that unanimously passed Congress last week calling for declassification of information on the origins of COVID-19. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was still making... Read More
WASHINGTON — After weeks of introducing “messaging” resolutions aimed at pleasing the party’s hardcore base of so-called “MAGA Republicans,” the... Read More
WASHINGTON — After weeks of introducing “messaging” resolutions aimed at pleasing the party’s hardcore base of so-called “MAGA Republicans,” the House GOP this week is rolling out its first major piece of legislation. Called H.R. 1 — the Lower Energy Costs Act, the bill introduced by... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress, has died. She... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress, has died. She was 82. Schroeder's former press secretary, Andrea Camp, said Schroeder suffered a stroke recently and died Monday night at a hospital in Celebration, Florida, the city... Read More
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was discharged from the hospital on Monday after suffering a concussion from... Read More
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was discharged from the hospital on Monday after suffering a concussion from a fall last week and will continue being treated at an inpatient rehabilitation facility, his office said. "Leader McConnell's concussion recovery is proceeding well," spokesman David... Read More