Congress Passes Stopgap Spending Bill To Avert Government Shutdown

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- A nearly empty House on Thursday passed a stopgap spending measure to avert a government shutdown this weekend and refill disaster aid coffers drained by a series of recent storms, fires and tornadoes.

The measure passed the House with the unanimous permission of all members present in a chamber that was nearly deserted because Congress is on vacation. It now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature. Just three lawmakers were there in a session that last all of five minutes: Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., who presided; Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, who offered the motion to pass the bill; and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who represented Democrats.

The compromise measure, which passed the Senate Monday night, provides $2.7 billion in disaster aid, less than both Democrats and Republicans had hoped for. The disaster funding was cut back by $1 billion after a battle over whether that portion of the aid should have been "paid for" with spending cuts to clean energy programs favored by Democrats.

Republicans had insisted on requiring cuts to a loan guarantee program benefiting the auto industry to offset the most urgently needed portion of disaster aid – $1 billion in funding to prevent the Federal Emergency Management Agency from running out of disaster money this week. The battle had raised the possibility of a government shutdown, but the situation was defused on Monday after FEMA revealed that the emergency money wasn't needed after all.

The administration says the influx of disaster money will allow FEMA to resume funding longer term rebuilding projects that had been put on hold to conserve aid to provide immediate help to victims of Hurricane Irene and other recent disasters.

The stopgap bill funds the government through Tuesday, allowing lawmakers to return next week and hold a recorded vote on another measure that would keep the government open through mid-November. The recorded tally would allow tea party opponents of the spending measure to register their opposition.

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Comments

[Kletok Nikto]

11:00 AM on 10/04/2011

So they CAN act quickly and efficiently when they're not grandstanding, strutting, posturing and performing for the cameras. Politics looks to me more like theater than governing. Ridiculous.

[TheAlchemist]

05:54 PM on 09/30/2011

Term Limits For All.

[dzkar]

04:45 PM on 09/30/2011

Wow, who ever saw that one coming....yawn

[des946]

03:57 PM on 09/30/2011

This is a total and unmitigated sham by the politicians to evade non-partisan addressing and resolution of the problems. They are not achieving anything; they are just dragging out responsibly addresing these mattere. the American people have had enough of this crap . . . it is time to vote the VAST MAJORITY of Congressmen out of office. The 'devils that we know" as as bad and corrupt as ever; and we cannot afford that any longer. It is time for new blood in BOTH political parties . . . the old dogs have too much of vested interests with the elitists, wealthy speical interests . . . they have sold their political souls to them long ago. One of our biggest problems is that the scanal rag medi tears apart any decent candidate who would dare to run for office. Perhaps we should return to a time when persoanl lives are kept separate from public lives and performance. What decent candidate wants to go through the destructive "scrutiny" of the tabloid type media. The crooked politicians don't seem to have any problems with that; they are used to it. Decent people/candidates don't want to subject their families to a lot of false clames and accusations.

[treasuredtrophie]

03:57 PM on 09/30/2011

Last years budget hmmm nope all 3 branches were Demo controlled. They love lazy people because they are lazy people.

[dzkar]

04:45 PM on 09/30/2011

Well said

[tomjefferson2005]

03:02 PM on 09/30/2011

Typo. Should be: Gluteus maximus. I know some on here will focus microscopically on a typo; and ignore the whole message.

[tomjefferson2005]

02:59 PM on 09/30/2011

We don't need Revolution. Millions would die, millions more maimed, and we might end up in a much worse situation than we have now. We have amendments to the Constitution as a form of change. People need to get up off their gluteus mamimus, and put down their smoke long enough to vote. Get involved.

[clarkkentdlyplnt]

02:38 PM on 09/30/2011

Isn't that sweet. Everybody leaves town and leaves three members as scapegoats. Is this what is knows as "plausible deniability"?

[KrazyKitty]

02:35 PM on 09/30/2011

The Tea Party: The most DESPISED group of ragtag, get government off my back and keep government out of my Medicare, mis-informed, Fix News addicts, created and funded by DICK Armey, and the Koch Brothers, with a mission to destroy the middle class, and unions, and cater to the wealthy and corporations, which are people too, protecting corporate welfare and greed at the expense of the rest of the country. Polls show the TP approval ratings at the BOTTOM of a huge list just below the GOP.

[treasuredtrophie]

03:37 PM on 09/30/2011

Well you take your drugs today. So you have a problem with paying to much in taxes, as they spend 1 dollars for muffins, why care its not there money. Sure you free loaders hate the TP you might one day when they run the show have to WORK. Darn shame. Other wise read before your open you mouth.

[KrazyKitty]

11:05 AM on 10/01/2011

Have you neglected to take YOUR Prozac? I DON'T HAVE a problem paying taxes, there were NO $16.00 muffins (It was $14.95 PER PERSON NOT PER MUFFIN). I AM NOT A FREELOADER and I do despise the TP; THEY WILL NEVER RUN ME, I WILL NEVER WORK FOR THEM. It is a darn shame that you don't know what you are talking about. Now go march.

[lesnmark]

02:16 PM on 09/30/2011

everyone paying attention to the fact that the lawmakers excused themselves from Obamacare ?

[tomjefferson2005]

02:39 PM on 09/30/2011

They have a better program. Obama wanted to give the nation the same program that lawmakers; including Republicans have, and they wouldn't do that.

[treasuredtrophie]

03:40 PM on 09/30/2011

Give what is free nothing. Someone has to pay for it that is where you guys have no glue. Yea love there retirement plan also.

[lesnmark]

02:15 PM on 09/30/2011

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States .."
We also need term limits included in this proposed amendment.........

[clarkkentdlyplnt]

02:30 PM on 09/30/2011

I don't believe term limits are a real solution. The problem with term limits is eventually you are governed by life long government employees who run the system, not your elected officials.

[gochenaur8]

02:44 PM on 09/30/2011

Our elected public servants won't vote any thing into law that takes anything away from them.

[sidecarman]

01:39 PM on 09/30/2011

ban the gop. can they be arrested for treason

[treasuredtrophie]

03:45 PM on 09/30/2011

Love to see the Demos run there own country.

[sidecarman]

01:38 PM on 09/30/2011

the gop up to its old tricks.

[benshere8]

10:07 AM on 09/30/2011

THANK THE GOP/TEA PARTY FOR MORE UNCERTAINITY AND CONTINUED HARM TO THE ECONOMY AND YOUR 401K'S--GIVE THEM A BIG HAND!!!

[nickpasq]

01:05 PM on 09/30/2011

Ok. Thank you tea Party for giving our Representatives some fiscal responsibility.

[clarkkentdlyplnt]

02:33 PM on 09/30/2011

Don't forget to thank your Fairy-Godmother and Santa Claus if your getting all imaginary.

[StevenRussell1]

03:41 AM on 09/30/2011

Thank you, Lord.