US Senate passes bill to end government shutdown, sends to House

"The 60-40 vote passed with the support of nearly all of the chamber's Republicans and eight Democrats, who unsuccessfully sought to tie government funding to health subsidies that are due to expire at the end of the year. While the agreement sets up a December vote on those subsidies, which benefit 24 million Americans, it does not guarantee they will continue."

"The deal would restore funding for federal agencies that lawmakers allowed to expire on October 1 and would stall President Donald Trump's campaign to downsize the federal workforce, preventing any layoffs until January 30. It next heads to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law. Trump has called the deal to reopen the government "very good.""

"The deal would extend funding through January 30, leaving the federal government for now on a path to keep adding about $1.8 trillion a year to its $38 trillion in debt. Coming a week after Democrats won high-profile elections in New Jersey, Virginia and elected a democratic socialist as the next mayor of New York City, the deal has provoked anger among many Democrats who note there is no guarantee that the Republican-controlled Senate or House would agree to extend the health insurance subsidies."

The Senate passed a 60-40 measure restoring funding for federal agencies whose appropriations lapsed on October 1, with nearly all Republicans and eight Democrats supporting the bill. The agreement prevents planned federal workforce reductions and blocks layoffs until January 30. The measure schedules a December vote on health insurance subsidies that benefit 24 million Americans but offers no guarantee those subsidies will continue. The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled House for prompt consideration and carries a presidential endorsement. The extension keeps the government on a path to add roughly $1.8 trillion annually to a $38 trillion debt and has provoked Democratic anger; a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 50% of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown and U.S. stocks rose.

Read at Irish Independent