Us Politics: Latest News

debt ceiling and spending legislation that will ensure the country avoids a federal default, sending the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk and ending one of the most stressful periods of congressional dealmaking in recent memory.The legislation passed the upper chamber a day after the House united in rare bipartisan fashion to approve the deal reached between Republicans and the White House, which has few fans but will ensure the U.S. can continue to pay its debts.“America can breathe a sigh of relief,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said as he announced an agreement on the vote.The legislation passed the Senate by 63-36, with both Democrats and Republicans voting no.

debt ceiling while cutting government spending, clearing a crucial bar with bipartisan support as Congress races to avert a federal default.With some Republicans voting against the measure over concerns the hard-fought compromise didn’t go far enough, it took Democrats — some of whom had their own concerns and also voted no — to secure the majority needed to send the bill to the Senate, which is set to hold its own vote later this week.The goal is to get the bill signed by President Joe Biden before Monday, when the U.S. Treasury says it will run out of money to pay its debts.Ever since the deal between House Republicans and the White House emerged over the weekend, lawmakers in both parties have urged members to vote for it despite their misgivings, assessing it was better than the alternative of devastating economic upheaval.In the end, 117 House members — 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats — voted against the package.Tensions rose earlier Wednesday when Republican support lagged on a procedural vote, but the package ultimately sailed ahead once Democrats — after waiting until it was clear Republicans didn’t have the votes on their own — unleashed their own votes in a show of bipartisan support.Quick approval by Congress would ensure government checks will continue to go out to Social Security recipients, veterans and others, and would prevent financial upheaval at home and abroad.

Memorial Day long weekend, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen extended the deadline for a deal to raise the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, but only by four days.Originally, Yellen said the deadline was as early as June 1 to avoid a potential default but in a letter to Congress on Friday, the date was extended to June 5.Yellen said her department would make more than $130 billion in scheduled payments in the first two days of the month, including to veterans and Social Security and Medicare recipients, but encouraged the White House and Republicans to come to an agreement “as soon as possible.”“If Congress fails to increase the debt limit, it would cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position, and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests,” she wrote.The extension comes as President Joe Biden and Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared to narrow in on a two-year budget deal that was aimed at curbing federal deficits.The pair are hoping to strike a compromise over the weekend, but any deal would need to be a compromise as support would be needed from Republicans and Democrats to pass a divided and narrowly-controlled Congress.On Friday evening before departing for Camp David, Biden said “things are looking good.”“I’m hoping we’ll have some clear evidence tonight before the clock strikes 12 that we have a deal,” he said. “But it’s very close.”Despite potential hang-ups, including over stiffer work requirements on people receiving government food stamps, both sides appeared to be optimistic that they could find a deal.“I’m a total optimist,” McCarthy said Friday.

COVID-19 response package by Senate Republicans is supposed to give the government more weapons to battle the surging coronavirus pandemic. But GOP lawmakers have more than just the “invisible enemy” in mind.The Republican measure includes billions for F-35 fighters, Apache helicopters and infantry carriers sought by Washington’s powerful defense lobby.

The day he declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency, U.S. President Donald Trump made a cryptic offhand remark.