The US Congress avoided a government shutdown over the Christmas period, after weeks of tense negotiations that stretched to the maximum limit allowed by law, by approving a measure that funds federal agencies until mid-March. With the midnight deadline already past a few minutes (six in the morning in Italy), senators abandoned the normal procedure to speed up the vote and thus halting preparations for the government shutdown. In this way they “saved” over 800,000 workers who risked being sent home without pay. “It's good news that the bipartisan approach ultimately prevailed… It's a good outcome for America and for the American people,” Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech to the Senate.
Democrats lead the Senate, so there was little doubt the funding package would get the green light after the party was crucial in helping the House's Republican majority pass the legislation earlier in the day. But because senators often balk at complex legislation, there were fears the fight over funding could drag on into next week. This would have resulted in non-essential operations being halted, up to 875,000 workers being made redundant and a further 1.4 million forced to work without pay. Congressional setting of state budgets is always a difficult task, with both chambers divided by Republicans and Democrats.
Related News :