Senate Passes Short-Term Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

Politics|Congress approves a short-term spending measure to support the authorities open, sending it to Biden’s desk.

• Sept. 30, 2021Updated 3:47 p.m. ET

Racing to debar a authorities shutdown astatine midnight, Congress connected Thursday gave last support to a spending measure that would widen national backing done aboriginal December and supply exigency assistance to enactment the resettlement of Afghan refugees and catastrophe betterment efforts crossed the country.

The authorities passed 254 to 175, clearing it for President Biden’s signature earlier backing lapses. The Senate earlier Thursday passed the authorities connected a 65 to 35 margin, with 15 Republicans joining each Democrats successful favor.

“This is simply a bully result — 1 I americium blessed we are getting done,” said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the bulk leader, speaking connected the Senate level up of the vote. “With truthful galore things happening successful Washington, the past happening the American radical request is for the authorities to grind to a halt.”

Lawmakers reached a woody connected the spending authorities aft Democrats agreed to portion retired a proviso that would person raised the national government’s quality to proceed borrowing funds done the extremity of 2022. Senate Republicans blocked an archetypal backing bundle connected Monday implicit its inclusion, refusing to springiness the bulk enactment immoderate of the votes needed to determination up connected a measure to avert a first-ever national default successful the coming weeks.

The authorities that passed connected Thursday would support the authorities afloat funded done Dec. 3, giving lawmakers further clip to scope statement implicit the twelve yearly bills that dictate national spending. It would supply $6.3 cardinal to assistance Afghan refugees resettle successful the United States and $28.6 cardinal to assistance communities rebuild from hurricanes, wildfires and different caller earthy disasters.

“This measure is not a imperishable solution,” said Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee. “I look guardant to soon opening negotiations with my counterparts crossed the aisle and crossed the Capitol to implicit afloat twelvemonth authorities backing bills.”

“The American radical are susceptible of gathering a aboriginal that is stronger and much prosperous arsenic agelong arsenic they person the tools they request to bash it,” she added. “This measure helps guarantee that they person those tools.”

The catastrophe backing is intended to assistance communities crossed the state proceed recovering from the harm inflicted successful caller years by earthy disasters, including Hurricanes Ida, Delta, Zeta, and Laura, arsenic good arsenic wildfires, droughts and wintertime storms.

It would besides administer billions of dollars crossed the national authorities to assistance Afghan refugees settee successful the United States, including funds to assistance supply exigency housing, English lessons and further resources.

Before agreeing to the details of the spending measure Thursday morning, the Senate defeated an amendment projected by Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, that would person curtailed the duration of immoderate of the benefits for Afghan refugees.

Senators besides voted down an amendment, offered by Senator Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, that would person barred funds from going toward the implementation and enforcement of Mr. Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, arsenic good arsenic an amendment that would contradict lawmakers wage should they neglect to walk a fund solution and the twelve spending bills by Oct. 1.