News

Government shutdown ending soon?

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history could be ending soon.

The Senate Republicans made some concessions over the weekend which drew the support of eight Democrats, enough to pass the bill Sunday night and send it to the House for consideration.  The bill, if passed, would fund remaining farm bill programs one year, fund the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.  It would also pay for military construction projects and the operations of Congress for the year while providing funding for all other agencies through January 30.

The Senate barely overcame the filibuster rule, passing the new bill on a 60-40 margin.  The House will only need a simple majority to pass the Senate bill and send it to the President for his signature. House members have been called back to Washington D.C. for a vote on the new bill.

Many Democratic Senators voted no on the Senate bill, refusing to sign on to any legislation that doesn’t address health care costs and the extension of Affordable Health Care Act premium subsidies.  Democrats in the House are expected to oppose the bill for the same reasons, but they are outnumbered by Republicans 219 to 214.