The US government avoided a last-minute shutdown again.
After many days of debate and conflict until the last minute, on the evening of December 11, the US House of Representatives, with 219 votes in favor and 206 votes against, voted to pass the 2015 fiscal budget spending bill.
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| The US House of Representatives passed the 2015 fiscal year budget spending bill by a narrow margin. Source: nbcnews.com |
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The $1.1 trillion bill passed the House of Representatives amid deep divisions, not only among Republican lawmakers but also within the Democratic Party and between Democratic leaders and the administration of President Barack Obama.
Immediately after the House vote, the Senate agreed to extend the temporary spending plan for two days while the legislature began debate on the bill, thus avoiding the risk of having to close down some government offices and non-essential services due to lack of funding.
Before the vote, President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other top White House officials had to launch a sprint campaign, calling or meeting to persuade Democratic Congressmen to support and pass the budget spending plan that the White House said was "flawed but acceptable."
Earlier in the day, the White House Office of Management and Budget held a press conference calling on departments to prepare plans for the possibility of a shutdown.
Despite calls from the White House, all House Democrats joined 16 House Republicans in voting against the Republican-drafted bill.
The recently passed spending bill authorizes funding for most departments, but some, such as the Department of Homeland Security, will only be funded through February 27, 2015.
Democrats voted against the bill because it included two provisions that Democrats disagreed with: preferential treatment for Wall Street tycoons and a provision allowing wealthy people to contribute more financially to election campaigns. These are two provisions that benefit the Republican Party, especially during elections.
The US Senate is expected to pass this bill as early as December 12, the last day of the 113th Congress's session and the US enters its long year-end break.
In January 2015, the new 114th US Congress will convene its first session with Republicans in control of both houses of Congress.
According to Vietnam+
