U.S. Congress passes bill to avert gov’t shutdown

The United States Congress passed a bill to avert a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday and to provide more time to reach agreement on the budget.

The House of Representatives passed a bill that had already obtained the approval of the Senate and which extends until next Wednesday the time available for lawmakers to pass a $1.1 trillion spending plan.

The White House announced Friday that President Barack Obama will sign the extension lasting several days, but warned that he will not sign any temporary spending plan because he requires a complete budget for the entire fiscal year.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (RKy.) said Friday that negotiations are moving slowly but that hopes are still alive of having a bill worked up by Dec. 14.

At the same time, the No. 2 in the House of Representatives, California Republican Kevin McCarthy, said that lawmakers will not be in session until Dec. 15, as was planned before the extension of the negotiations was agreed upon.

Obama had not planned to sign an extension of negotiations, but since this is not a postponement for several weeks but for just a few days, the president finally agreed to the delay in order to avoid a government shutdown.