THE US Senate on Monday night passed a bipartisan spending package in a bid to end the longest government shutdown, which has entered its 41st day and has brought mounting consequences for Americans.
This came after the upper chamber voted 60-40 in a key procedural vote to move forward with the spending package on Sunday night. Eight Democrats joined Republicans to advance the measure.
The Senate voted 60-40 to approve the spending package, which would fund most federal agencies at current levels through 30 January, and fund the Agriculture Department, the Veterans Affairs Department and military construction projects, and the operations of Congress, for the full fiscal year.
This package will provide full-year funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, known as SNAP, whose funding was put in jeopardy amid the prolonged government shutdown.
As part of Democrats’ agreement to end the shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised Senate Democrats a vote “no later than second week in December” to enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Some Democrats voiced objection, arguing that the agreement merely promises a vote and does not ensure the continuation of the subsidy, which is set to expire at the end of the year. Protecting health care benefits remains the Democrats’ central demand in the current shutdown standoff.
Xinhua
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