Following a three-day stalemate, the United States Congress has voted to end the government shutdown and fund the federal government for the next three weeks.
On Jan. 19, the United States Senate did not pass a spending bill for the new year. Differing opinions between the Republican and Democrat parties regarding subjects like immigration and tax reform played a part in splitting the Senate when the time came to vote on a new budget.
However, on Jan. 22, the House of Representatives passed a spending bill that will allow the government to receive funding until Feb. 8. That same afternoon, the Senate voted 81-18 in favor of the same bill. This means that President Trump is now able to sign the bill into law and government employees will be able to return to work on Jan. 23.
This new measure, referred to as the “Stopgap Bill” by the New York Times, will buy representatives time to reach a compromise on a more permanent budget and comes with certain caveats. House Democrats agreed to the bill on the condition that Republican representatives take part in a dialogue about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy (DACA) that was scrapped earlier this year. The bill also provides funding for the Child Health Insurance Program for the next six years and puts a hold on a number of proposed tax increases.
Story By
Megan Fairbanks
printchief@suunews.com
Photo By
Mitchell Quartz
photochief@suunews.com
