WASHINGTON – Bringing a tense debate to a quiet close, the House approved legislation Tuesday to fund the government and replenish disaster aid into next month, ending for now the threat of a government shutdown.
The 352-66 vote will keep the government running through Nov. 18. At that time, Congress is expected to be at a standoff again as conservative Republicans push for deeper cuts and for policy changes that will run into resistance from Democrats.
But House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Tuesday he was “confident” an agreement could be reached in the weeks ahead on a new spending plan.
Boehner has been forced this year to rely on Democrats to help pass spending measures as GOP leaders are unable to overcome resistance from conservatives in their House majority. On Tuesday, 53 Republicans voted no. The Senate has already passed the measure and President Obama was expected to quickly sign it.
But already, new GOP spending proposals to keep the government running past Nov. 18 cut deeply into health and education programs that are dear to Democrats.
They also would eliminate funds for family planning clinics, National Public Radio and other programs long targeted by Republicans.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.