Partial govt. Shutdown Now Unlikely: Ending weeks of political brinkmanship, Congress debate the best disaster on Monday night and advanced legislation to avoid the partial closure of the government in the coming days.The agreement ensured there would be no interruption in assistance to areas affected by disasters such as hurricane and tornado Irene last summer in Joplin, Missouri, and that the government will be able to function normally when the new fiscal year begins on Saturday.
The Senate approved the resolution after a day of behind the scenes negotiations, and sometimes biting debate, but it means the end of the last of a series of confrontation between Democrats and Republicans on deficit spending and taxes. These battles have shaken the financial markets has coincided with a poll shows ratings of Congress at record low
The breakthrough came hours after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said he had enough money for disaster relief efforts on Friday. This revelation has lawmakers to abandon the reconstruction $ 1 billion, which were included in the measure – and get out of the impasse that has caused.
Democratic-controlled Senate approved the measure on a bipartisan vote of 79-12, sending it to the Republican-controlled House for final approval.
There was no comment from the leaders of the Republican party at home, although their approval for the measure seemed a mere formality, after the leader of the Senate agreed with him.
. “This compromise must meet the Republicans … and it must satisfy the Democrats,” said Senate Majority Harry Reid, the leader, who added that the Budget Director Jacob Lew told him that FEMA does not need additional funds to meet its needs over the past few days of the fiscal year.
“This is a victory for all,” said Reed, who spent much of the past few weeks accusing Republicans choose to listen to the wishes of the tea members and not the needs of their own voters affected by natural disasters.
Senate Mitch McConnell, Republican leader of Kentucky said that “a reasonable means to keep the government running.”
But he ended up in a final blow to Democrats, noting that the disaster funds seeking the Obama administration and its allies in Congress, as we know, are not needed.
“I think this whole drill fire was completely unnecessary,” he said.
But even without the agreement of dispute resolution to prevent the Democrats vote was politically motivated in the early evening, which was designed to force Republicans to take a decision on immediate assistance to victims of natural disasters or shortfall in priority above.
And the rhetoric was much more severe during the day on the floor of the Senate, when Mary Landrieu, D-La. Triggers on an unusually personal attack House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-va., Speaking, differences began a few weeks, when he said: “Before we can provide the help we need to find a shift in the budget.”
She called that “teaching office” and said the controversy “could have been avoided if only that Kantor said:” I’m sorry, I made a mistake. “But instead he doubled down,” she said.
Laena Fallon, a spokesman for Cantor said that Republicans in Virginia was “never said the things she claimed, he suggested that we should only provide assistance in disaster dollars for those who need to responsibly – that she voted to block, despite the urgent need. ”
In fact, House Republicans insisted that any new disaster aid for the budget year ending be offset by reductions elsewhere in the budget, a move that Democrats seized on in the hope of restructuring the political terrain of their benefit.
Because the house is on a break for one week, it was not immediately clear how the legislation can be cleared for the signing of President Barack Obama.
Among the options for passing a temporary measure funding will be allocated in a brief session of the House is scheduled for Thursday that will keep government agencies in the fund until lawmakers return on October 4. The Senate approved the bill without objection.
In addition, the leaders of the Republican Party would call a full house back in session this week to vote.
In any case, the agreement provides funding to 18 November.
Press Secretary MOE Rachel Racusen, the agency gave $ 114 million in funds for disaster relief, enough to last until Thursday or Friday, the last working day of the current fiscal year. According to her, the exact timing will depend on the number of victims in need of emergency care, and if future disasters occur.
FEMA officials previously said the fund will be exhausted early in the week. This problem has prompted Obama several weeks ago to ask Congress to approve the reconstruction of the wave of the agency through the courts on September 30 at the end of the year.
House Republicans have agreed to provide $ 1 billion a week and include the money in the bill, which also provides money for most agencies in the first weeks of 2012 budget. At the same time, they insisted on spending cuts elsewhere in the budget of $ 1.5 billion to prevent the deficit from increasing the amount later increased to $ 1.6 billion.
This, in turn, leads to rapid destruction of the Senate Democrats who opposed the cuts.
Although it was difficult to exactly how long the remaining funds to FEMA will continue, said an official of the agency began to save money in the past month, as Hurricane Irene approached the American continent, the priority of assistance to help victims of natural disasters and individual pay state and local governments for emergency needs such as debris removal and building barricades of sand bags.
Funding of $ 450 million has been suspended for long-term needs, such as reconstruction of roads, the official said. In addition, the agency was able to return unused money from past disasters, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the lack of authority to discuss the matter publicly.
