Congress forestalled a federal government shutdown Wednesday, but with another fiscal deadline looming, Republican leaders are opening negotiations with President Obama to prevent the next crisis.
Hours before a midnight deadline, the House overwhelmingly approved legislation to fund government offices and services through Dec. 11 — without any of the cuts to Planned Parenthood that conservatives sought.
The strong bipartisan vote, 277-151, matched a similar compromise in the Senate, which passed the bill earlier Wednesday, 78-20, with more than half of Republicans joining Democrats in voting in favor.
The White House, which had vowed to veto any bill that cut funding to Planned Parenthood, welcomed the bipartisan accord as it opens talks with House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on a broader budget compromise.
Obama was expected to swiftly sign the stopgap spending bill, which includes $700 million to fight wildfires in Western states.
The willingness of Boehner and McConnell to defy antiabortion conservatives in their own party to push through the stopgap measure and keep the government running for the next 10 weeks may open the door for a more comprehensive budget deal or perhaps a series of mini-accords to resolve looming year-end issues.
Hours before a midnight deadline, the House overwhelmingly approved legislation to fund government offices and services through Dec. 11 — without any of the cuts to Planned Parenthood that conservatives sought.
The strong bipartisan vote, 277-151, matched a similar compromise in the Senate, which passed the bill earlier Wednesday, 78-20, with more than half of Republicans joining Democrats in voting in favor.
The White House, which had vowed to veto any bill that cut funding to Planned Parenthood, welcomed the bipartisan accord as it opens talks with House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on a broader budget compromise.
Obama was expected to swiftly sign the stopgap spending bill, which includes $700 million to fight wildfires in Western states.
The willingness of Boehner and McConnell to defy antiabortion conservatives in their own party to push through the stopgap measure and keep the government running for the next 10 weeks may open the door for a more comprehensive budget deal or perhaps a series of mini-accords to resolve looming year-end issues.
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SOURCE: Lisa Mascaro
The Los Angeles Times
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