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| US House passes $984bn spending bill to avert government shutdown | US House passes $984bn spending bill to avert government shutdown |
| (14 days later) | |
| The Republican-led House of Representatives followed the US Senate in voting for a bill Thursday to avert federal government shutdown when funding runs out next week. | The Republican-led House of Representatives followed the US Senate in voting for a bill Thursday to avert federal government shutdown when funding runs out next week. |
| The House passed the $984bn spending bill by 318 to 109. The bill, passed on Wednesday by the Senate, was close enough to an earlier House version to make it appealing enough to all but diehard Republicans. | The House passed the $984bn spending bill by 318 to 109. The bill, passed on Wednesday by the Senate, was close enough to an earlier House version to make it appealing enough to all but diehard Republicans. |
| President Obama is now expected to sign it on his return from the Middle East, averting another economic standoff between the White House and Congress. | President Obama is now expected to sign it on his return from the Middle East, averting another economic standoff between the White House and Congress. |
| The Senate bill only covers funding for the next six months, leaving the bigger battles over debt and spending still to be resolved. | The Senate bill only covers funding for the next six months, leaving the bigger battles over debt and spending still to be resolved. |
| It was passed by 73 to 26 on Wednesday after eight days of debate. A crucial bloc of Republicans joined the Democrats to ensure its passage, evidence that bipartisanship still works, at least in the Senate. | It was passed by 73 to 26 on Wednesday after eight days of debate. A crucial bloc of Republicans joined the Democrats to ensure its passage, evidence that bipartisanship still works, at least in the Senate. |
| The bill makes no attempt at reopening the row over $8bn in automatic spending cuts. But it does reorder priorities so that some federal departments will be less hard-hit than originally planned. | The bill makes no attempt at reopening the row over $8bn in automatic spending cuts. But it does reorder priorities so that some federal departments will be less hard-hit than originally planned. |
| The House bill proposed providing a bigger share for the Pentagon, along with other departments the Republicans regard as vital. The Senate bill sticks with these, but expands the circle of favoured departments. The departments facing some protection now includes: Defence, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, the FDA, Commerce and Science. | The House bill proposed providing a bigger share for the Pentagon, along with other departments the Republicans regard as vital. The Senate bill sticks with these, but expands the circle of favoured departments. The departments facing some protection now includes: Defence, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, the FDA, Commerce and Science. |
| The extra funding for these departments means cuts in other departments. | The extra funding for these departments means cuts in other departments. |
| The Senate bill had been in danger of being delayed as senator put down more than 100 amendments that would have protected pet projects or favoured departments. In the end, there were only votes on 10 of them. | The Senate bill had been in danger of being delayed as senator put down more than 100 amendments that would have protected pet projects or favoured departments. In the end, there were only votes on 10 of them. |
| Asked later at a press conference in Congress about the agencies not protected by the cuts, Republican House speaker John Boehner said there was nothing to stop these agencies coming forward to make "reprogramming" requests. Congress is due to break for easter at the end of the week. Lawmakers will not return to Washington for two weeks. | Asked later at a press conference in Congress about the agencies not protected by the cuts, Republican House speaker John Boehner said there was nothing to stop these agencies coming forward to make "reprogramming" requests. Congress is due to break for easter at the end of the week. Lawmakers will not return to Washington for two weeks. |
| A proposal to restart tours of the White House, which has become an unlikely symbol of the sequestration cuts, was rejected. The proposal also included money to allow Yellowstone national park, closed because the parks department, in order to save money, is not allowing snowploughs to clear roads to allow tourists in, to re-open. | A proposal to restart tours of the White House, which has become an unlikely symbol of the sequestration cuts, was rejected. The proposal also included money to allow Yellowstone national park, closed because the parks department, in order to save money, is not allowing snowploughs to clear roads to allow tourists in, to re-open. |
| But an amendment to protect federal meat inspectors from being placed on furlough was passed, as was one providing tuition for service members. | But an amendment to protect federal meat inspectors from being placed on furlough was passed, as was one providing tuition for service members. |
| The bill only covers spending up until September 30. The Senate is working on a separate budget for next year and this could be completed by Friday. The House has a separate budget bill based on the proposals put forward by Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's running mate last November. The two sides' budget proposals are still far apart. | The bill only covers spending up until September 30. The Senate is working on a separate budget for next year and this could be completed by Friday. The House has a separate budget bill based on the proposals put forward by Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's running mate last November. The two sides' budget proposals are still far apart. |
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