Washington, December 11 U.S. Senate passed a week-long temporary appropriation bill to provide funds to the federal government to avoid the government’s “closure”.
Since the U.S. federal government will run out of funds on the 11th, the Senate urgently approved the bill on the same day, which will provide funds for the federal government until the 18th. The House of Representatives of Congress passed the bill by 343 votes to 67 on the 9th. U.S. President Trump must sign the bill before the 12th to avoid the government’s “closure”.
Next, both houses of the United States must pass the fiscal year 2021 (starting on October 1 this year) comprehensive spending bill by the 18th, otherwise it will face the dilemma of running out of federal funds and the government “shutting down” again. But so far, bipartisan debates over the bill in Congress are still continuing.
Democratic Sterney Hoyer, the majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, said that as a temporary remedial, the interim appropriation bill guarantees that the U.S. government can function properly, but a two-partisan compromise is needed before reaching a final agreement.
The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee have previously reached a $1.4 trillion annual budget outline for fiscal year 2021. The program includes 12 funding plans, but the two parties have not yet agreed on the specific allocation of funds.
The debate focuses on the allocation of funds on issues such as the construction of the border wall and immigration. In addition, the fiscal stimulus plan for the coronavirus epidemic is not included in the plan.
Months of bipartisan negotiations around the fiscal stimulus plan in the United States have not yet been fruitless. On the 8th, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin submitted a $916 billion fiscal stimulus bill to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which was opposed by Democrats because it did not include additional unemployment benefits.
At the same time, it is difficult for the two parties to agree on the details of the assistance to state and local governments. At present, millions of unemployed people in the United States are still waiting for government assistance.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, the number of individuals and businesses waiting for government assistance is expected to increase further.
