Senate splits over bill to avoid government shutdown
Source: Reuters
POLITICS | Thu Sep 22, 2016 | 5:11pm EDT
Senate splits over bill to avoid government shutdown
By David Morgan | WASHINGTON
A behind-the-scenes congressional battle to avoid a U.S. government shutdown broke into public view on Thursday when Republicans produced a stop-gap funding bill that Democrats immediately rejected.
The federal fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 and Congress must pass a spending measure by then to keep the government open. In recent years, lawmakers have seldom been able to agree on a full federal budget and instead have relied on stop-gap measures.
Senate Majority Mitch McConnell capped weeks of labored negotiations by proposing a continuing resolution that would fund government agencies from Oct. 1 through Dec. 9 at an annual rate of just over $1 trillion.
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Democrats quickly opposed the resolution as "a Republican-only bill" that would not help Flint, Michigan, cope with lead-contaminated water and would leave in place a prohibition against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requiring public companies to disclose political spending.
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Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-funding-idUSKCN11S2DF