Weekend spending deal averts government shutdown

WASHINGTON (UPI) — Washington lawmakers reached a spending plan Sunday that will keep the government operating through December, avoiding a looming shutdown.

The deal keeps federal agencies funded and staves off what could have been a government stoppage Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

This move allows lawmakers to push a decision on future spending until after the November election.

House Speaker Mike Johnson described the measure as “bare bones,” and only included funding extensions that are absolutely necessary.

“While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances,” Johnson wrote in a letter to his colleagues. “As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice.”

Negotiations repeatedly fell victim to partisan politics, including the defeat of a GOP-backed plan that linked government funding to states’ ability to require voters to show proof of citizenship before casting a ballot. Despite being backed by conservatives, 14 Republicans voted against it.

An immigration compromise fell victim to similar politics earlier this year when a bi-partisan plan to reshape border policy was ultimately defeated at the behest of former President and Republican party standard bearer Donald Trump who was not keen on any immigration policy agreement on immigration in an election year, fearing it would be perceived as a victory for Democrats.

Most temporary spending bills fund agencies at current levels, but this stop-gap plan also included $231 million for additional funding for the Secret Service in the wake of recent security breaches surrounding Trump, put money into a disaster relief fund and assist with the upcoming presidential transition.

Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, praised the bi-partisan deal, saying it is “free of cuts and poison pills,” and predicted the measure would be adopted quickly when Johnson brings it to the floor this week.

Mark Moran, United Press International

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