Parliament votes to keep government open until mid-February
The Senate late Thursday passed a measure to stave off a government shutdown, averting a partisan stalemate over federal vaccine mandates that threatens to push a deadline on Friday.
“I am glad that in the end, cool heads prevailed. Government will remain open and I thank the members of this chamber for bringing us back to the brink of an avoidable, unnecessary, and costly shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said.
The Senate passed the measure by a vote of 69-28.
Earlier in the day, President Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, announce an agreement to fund the federal government at current levels through February 18. Without such a funding stop, the government will be partially closed after midnight Friday. The measure also includes $7 billion for Afghan refugees.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the measure by a 221-212 vote, sending the measure to the Senate. Republican leadership urged members to vote no; The GOP’s only vote on the bill came from Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. The bill has now been turned over to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it.
In the Senate, a group of GOP conservatives planned to oppose such a quick review of the containment budget without an agreement to withhold money to enforce the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate against the Bidens. with big companies. Senate rules allow any senator to suspend a vote.
Read more: Biden administration asks court to allow staff to commission vaccines
And see: Congress faces shutdown deadline, setback for Biden’s Build Back Better plan
The shutdown was averted due to a compromise, prompting Senate conservatives including Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah. a vote on their effort to dismantle Biden’s vaccine mandate, in exchange for agreeing to expedite a government funding deal. The amendment was defeated, 50-48.
Republicans were not united in threatening the shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said Wednesday, “I think we’ll be fine,” when asked about the prospect of a shutdown. Thursday morning, Schumer said he and McConnell had agreed to keep government funding until mid-February.
Biden said earlier in the day he doesn’t expect the shutdown. “Have a plan in place, unless someone decides to be completely capricious,” he say after the COVID-19 speech.
US stocks traded sharply higher on Thursday afternoon, with the Dow
DJIA,
industry on track for best percentage gain since last year, as investors try to consider the spread of the coronavirus and a lackluster path for monetary policy and the US economy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/house-deal-would-keep-government-open-through-feb-18-but-shutdown-risk-remains-in-senate-11638454817?rss=1&siteid=rss Parliament votes to keep government open until mid-February
