US Congress passes bill to avert gov’t shutdown

“We’re not going to get everything we want in negotiations”.

But Congress looked set to push up against the new deadline next week as talks on legislation to fund the government through September 2016 dragged on over efforts to attach controversial policy provisions to the spending measure.

The issues preventing a deal include increased scrutiny of Syrian refugees, Planned Parenthood funding, environmental and financial regulations and lifting a ban on oil exports.

Opponents, mostly Democrats, said the bill sends the wrong message as USA diplomats meet in Paris with more than 190 nations to finalize an agreement to reduce man-made carbon emissions and adapt to rising seas and increasingly extreme weather.

White House and congressional negotiators searched for compromise Thursday on huge tax and spending bills with a combined price tag of well over $1 trillion, with leaders hoping to clinch agreements and let Congress adjourn for the year next week. The bill also would make permanent a moratorium that prevents states from taxing access to the Internet and blocks trade deals from requiring changes to USA immigration laws.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has promised to give lawmakers three days to read the text of any final agreement, putting pressure on negotiators to reach a deal soon so the bill can be passed by both chambers before the end of day Wednesday deadline. The bill now goes to the Senate, where a vote is expected next week.

U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a short-term government spending bill to avoid a government shutdown hours before midnight when current short-term spending bill will expire.

“We’re not going to allow Democrats to jam us with hard deadlines”, Republican John Fleming said.

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Friday on stop-gap spending legislation to extend a deadline for action and avoid a government shutdown, a House leadership aide said.

“Everything is tenuous right now”. He’s asked members to trust him as he faces his first major negotiation with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who is continuing to press hard for Democratic priorities in return for votes from her members. “Don’t expect us to vote for a bill that has a ban in it. Take the ban out”.