Zimbabwe News Update
bbc
3 min read
The us house of representatives approved a short-term spending bill to reopen the government following the longest shutdown in american history.The measure – which had the support of republicans in both chambers – passed two days after the senate approved the same measure by a narrow margin.For weeks, food aid has been in limbo for millions of americans who rely on government assistance to feed their families. Air traffic has snarled without enough controllers willing to work without their government paycheques.An end to those problems and many more related to the shutdown is on the horizon as soon as president donald trump signs the house measure.
The white house said trump, who has repeatedly said the shutdown should have never happened, plans to sign the legislation late on wednesday night.The shutdown, which began 1 october, has put stressors on many government systems, including safeguarding air travel, which was disrupted in many major cities in recent days after the federal aviation administration reduced air traffic because unpaid air traffic controllers have been calling in sick.That had direct impacts on members of congress attempting to reach the nation’s capital on wednesday for the vote.Derrick van orden, a wisconsin republican, road his motorcycle nearly 1,000 miles (1,609km) across the country to cast his vote to reopen the government.The measure only provides funding to keep the government open until 30 january, when lawmakers will once again need to find a way to fund the government.
The central sticking point of the fight over the government shutdown for the democrats was expiring healthcare subsidies for millions of low-income americans.Republicans wanted to fund the government using a temporary stop-gap measure called a continuing resolution. Democrats wanted a spending plan that included funding for those subsidies before they would agree to that stop-gap measure.Without any agreement, the government shut its doors and went without funding beginning on 1 october.More than 40 days later, as the tension and impacts of the government shutdown worsened, a handful of senate democrats found a deal that worked for them.
In exchange for a promise of a vote on healthcare subsidies in december, they voted with republicans to break the stalemate and advance the funding bill in the senate.House democrats – including minority leader hakeem jeffies – were unhappy with the deal. “we have an affordability crisis and republicans are burying their heads in the sand,” he said.Jeffries introduced a measure aimed at forcing the house to take up an extension of the healthcare subsidies. Democrats were hopeful they could conjure up enough support from moderate republicans to push the measure through, but they could not.
Hours before the house voted to reopen the government, democrats in congress got their newest lawmaker sworn into office.The addition did not provide enough leverage to impact whether healthcare subsidies were included in the government funding bill, but democrats welcomed adelita grijalva into their ranks with applause on the floor of the chamber.The democratic representative for arizona was elected on 23 september, but the house has not been in session since 19 september, delaying her swearing in.
She is stepping into the seat once held by her father, raul grijalva, who died earlier this year.Democrats immediately tapped their newest member to back a petition to force a vote on legislation requiring the release of files related to late paedophile financier jeffrey epstein.Seconds after she was officially sworn in and addressed the house, grijalva became the 218th signatory on the petition – pushing it over the threshold needed to move forward.”justice cannot wait another day,” she said.The petition will need to sit for seven legislative days before it can be called up for floor consideration – and then house leadership will be required to schedule a floor vote within two legislative days.House speaker mike johnson surprised many on wednesday and said he would schedule a vote for next week.
Follow the twists and turns of trump’s second term with north america correspondent anthony zurcher’s weeklyus politics unspunnewsletter. Readers in the uk cansign up here. Those outside the uk cansign up here. Source: bbc news
