WASHINGTON: The House of Representatives took a procedural step toward ending the longest government shutdown in United States history on Wednesday (Nov 12), advancing a stopgap funding package to restart disrupted food assistance, pay hundreds of thousands of federal workers and revive a hobbled air-traffic control system.
The Republican-controlled chamber voted 213-209 to move towards a final vote on the measure, with President Donald Trump’s support largely keeping his party together in the face of vehement opposition from House Democrats, who are angry that a long standoff launched by their Senate colleagues failed to secure a deal to extend federal health insurance subsidies.
Eight Senate Democrats on Monday broke with party leadership to pass the funding package, which would extend funding through Jan 30, leaving the federal government on a path to keep adding about US$1.8 trillion a year to its US$38 trillion in debt.
“I feel like I just lived a Seinfeld episode. We just spent 40 days and I still don’t know what the plotline was,” said Republican Representative David Schweikert of Arizona, referring to a popular 1990s US sitcom.
“I really thought this would be like 48 hours: people will have their piece, they’ll get a moment to have a temper tantrum, and we’ll get back to work.”
He added: “What’s happened now when rage is policy?”
House Democrats remain adamantly opposed, angered by the Senate deal that came less than a week after Democrats won high-profile elections in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City that many thought strengthened their odds of winning an extension of health insurance subsidies.
While the deal sets up a December vote on those subsidies in the Senate, Johnson has made no such promise in the House.
Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill, who last week was elected as New Jersey’s next governor, spoke against the funding Bill in her last speech on the US House floor before resigning from Congress next week, encouraging her colleagues to stand up to Trump’s administration.
“To my colleagues: do not let this body become a ceremonial red stamp from an administration that takes food away from children and rips away healthcare,” Sherrill said.
“To the country: stand strong. As we say in the Navy, don’t give up the ship.”
Source: CNA
