Late Sunday evening, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate took the first concrete step toward passing the federal budget and resuming the operations of government agencies, which have largely been suspended for nearly six weeks, LETA reports citing DPA.
The Senate voted to begin discussions on a temporary budget proposed by the House of Representatives, with 60 senators voting 'for' and 40 'against'. Several Democrats also supported the measure.
Earlier, Republicans and moderate Democrats in the Senate reached an agreement on key compromise points.
Although the vote marked an important political breakthrough, it does not yet mean an immediate resumption of government operations.
Currently, Republicans hold a slim majority in the Senate with 53 seats out of 100. However, at least 60 votes were needed to initiate procedural voting.
Seven Democrats and one independent senator voted in favor of advancing the package. The only Republican to vote against it was Rand Paul. Among Democrats, influential Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was among those who opposed it.
Due to the lack of an agreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress since early October, a significant portion of the government's regular operations remains paralyzed.
Now, after the Senate has approved the package, it must be approved again by the lower chamber of Congress—the House of Representatives. Depending on the level of resistance the bill encounters in both parties, this process could take several days.
Leave a comment