U.S. Senate passes six-month funding bill to avert federal government shutdown
In a last-minute effort, the U.S. Senate passed a six-month funding bill to prevent a federal government shutdown just hours before the midnight deadline on Friday evening. The bill, which will fund the government through the end of September, received bipartisan support with a vote of 54-46. Alabama Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, both Republicans, voted in favor of the continuing resolution.
Sen. Tuberville expressed his hope that President Trump would work towards getting the budget back on track by September, while Sen. Britt, who sits on the Appropriations Committee, supported the bill but expressed reservations about a full-year continuing resolution as it bypasses appropriations bills.
The funding bill maintains last year’s funding levels, with an increase of $6 billion in defense spending and a $13 billion reduction in non-defense spending. Notably, the bill does not cover Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare funding. Earmarks, which are congressionally directed spending requests, were also cut from the bill.
Despite criticisms from some House Democrats and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called the bill a “bad bill,” it was ultimately seen as a better option than a government shutdown. The House had passed the bill earlier in the week along party lines, with Alabama’s GOP members supporting it and Democrats opposing it.
The funding bill lacked specific instructions on how the money would be spent, leaving concerns about President Trump and Elon Musk potentially cutting federal government programs as they saw fit. The Senate Democrats faced a difficult decision in determining whether passing the funding bill or risking a shutdown would be worse for the country.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
