Senate approves stopgap to keep gov’t running
WASHINGTON — Up against a midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown, the Senate passed legislation Wednesday that temporarily would extend spending on most federal programs at current levels while raising Congress’ budget by 6 percent.
The measure, approved by a 62-38 vote that sends it to President Obama’s desk, would keep the government open for one more month. Obama is virtually certain to sign it before day’s end.
The legislation also would patch over problems in the struggling postal service and pay for soon-to-expire highway programs for an additional month as well. The stopgap measure is needed because Congress has failed to complete work on the 11 remaining spending bills for agency budgets.
The community activist group ACORN was in line for another hit as Democrats added langauge saying the organization could not receive federal dollars under the stopgap measure or any prior legislation. ACORN has received federal funds for providing counseling to homeowners facing foreclosure and helping people eligible for food stamps apply for the program.
ACORN, short for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has come under fire over a set of videotapes made by conservative activists that show, among other things, employees offering advice about how to establish a brothel with underage prostitutes.
The underlying legislation is a $4.7 billion measure covering Congress’ budget for the fiscal year beginning Thursday. That spending bill was chosen because it can’t be amended before going to Obama, which saves time and spares Democrats potentially difficult votes.
It’s not unusual for Congress to tack such stopgap bills onto other spending measures to speed them along. But by choosing the legislative branch bill to be the first measure presented to the president, majority Democrats opened themselves to GOP criticism that they were putting their own budgets ahead of agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security.
“This is the worst display that I have ever seen in my years of service in the Congress,” said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. “We have the audacity to take care of us before we take care of the rest of America.”
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., took aim at $500,000 included to notify constituents about town hall meetings, even though people packed such events in August.
“Has anybody had any trouble lately having people come to their town hall meetings,” McCain said. “We need to spend $500,000 additional to notify people?”
Congress was rewarding itself with a 6 percent budget boost, though the $51 million increase for the House office budget account represents an 8 percent increase. There’s also a big jump in spending to repair House office buildings, including a $50 million to refurbish the oldest one.
The Senate gave itself a 6 percent boost for its office accounts.
The Postal Service could delay $4 billion in payments due next month to a health care fund for retirees. Some $5.4 billion is supposed to be paid, but officials say they don’t have enough money to make the payment.
The measure also would extend the federal highway program for one month. Congress is working on a three-month extension.
The stopgap legislation would extend funding for the operating budgets of Cabinet departments and other agencies at current levels through Oct. 31. Exceptions would be made for the Census Bureau, which gets a big infusion to prepare for next year’s count, and veterans’ medical programs, both of which would operate at increases.
Also Wednesday, House-Senate negotiators closed out talks on a final compromise version of a $33.5 billion measure funding energy and water projects and a $121.1 billion agriculture spending measure.
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