A Deal to Avoid a Shutdown in October – By The Fiscal Times Staff (The Fiscal Times) / Sept 18 2020
Plus – Judge halts changes at USPS
A Tentative Deal to Avoid a Shutdown in October
Congressional negotiators on Friday reached an agreement “in principle” on a short-term spending deal that would avert a government shutdown on October 1, when the next fiscal year begins. Assuming the agreement holds, the House is expected to vote on the bill next week, followed by the Senate.
Missing a self-imposed noon deadline, the deal was held up by a White House demand for $30 billion to replenish a Depression-era fund that has been used to provide aid for farmers hurt financially by President Trump’s trade policies. Trump took to Twitter to press his case Friday, charging that “Pelosi wants to take 30 Billion Dollars away from our great Farmers. Can’t let that happen!”
Initially resisting the White House request – a Democratic aide said it was “an abuse of taxpayer dollars to give this administration more money so the president can grab headlines with announcements at campaign rallies” – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reportedly backed down late in the day. In exchange, Democrats will get one of their funding requests, about $2 billion for nutrition assistance for children affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrats reportedly will not get some of their other demands, however, including $3.6 billion for election security and an extension of the December 31 deadline for the Census Bureau to turn over the data from the latest national count to Congress.
Continue to article: https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/newsletter/20200918-Deal-Avoid-Shutdown-October
