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House passes short-term sending bill to fund the government until November

By Daniel Uria
The House passed a short-term spending bill on Thursday, funding the government through November. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
The House passed a short-term spending bill on Thursday, funding the government through November. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The House passed a short-term spending bill Thursday, extending government funding to before Thanksgiving.

The bill passed by a vote of 301-123, extending government funding at its current levels through Nov. 21 and staving off the possibility of a government shutdown at least until the holiday season.

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House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., said the stopgap bill will "provide families, businesses and communities with budget certainty while we negotiate long-term funding."

"We must pass a continuing resolution to avoid another government shutdown," said Lowey.

The Senate is expected to pass the bill before funding lapses on Oct. 1 and then it will be sent to President Donald Trump for approval.

Congress must then turn its attention toward passing a dozen spending bills to determine how funds will be distributed among various government entities.

The House has already passed 10 of these bills, but the Senate hasn't passed any. Democrats and Republicans have clashed over issues including funding for an expanded physical barrier at the southern border.

Democrats have opposed a demand that Congress replace $3.6 billion in funding for military construction projects that was diverted to the border wall.

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"We do not support diverting taxpayer dollars to build an ineffective and controversial wall along our southern border," a group of Senate Democrats wrote. "Especially when those funds are stolen from our military and important investments for American families, such as college affordability and our fight against the opioid crisis."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has also accused Democrats of reneging on a bipartisan agreement and demanding "new poison pills and partisan policy changes."

"It's not about the money. It's not about compromising and getting to 'yes.' It's about not wanting to take 'yes' for an answer," said McConnell.

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