Stop-gap budget mooted to avoid US government shut down
House of Representatives committee chairman Hal Rogers introduces temporary funding bill to avoid shut down of US government services
A key US lawmaker introduced a stop-gap funding bill on Wednesday to prevent an October 1 government shut down, after acknowledging there is insufficient time to pass a US budget for the forthcoming fiscal year.
House Appropriations Committee chairman, Republican Hal Rogers, unveiled a temporary measure that would continue funding for all federal agencies, programmes and services after the current fiscal year ends September 30 – but only until December 15.
The so-called “continuing resolution” would fund discretionary spending – which excludes some military costs and entitlement programme payments like Social Security – at the annual rate of US$986.3 billion.
That figure will almost certainly be contested by Democrats, who insist House Speaker John Boehner is seeking to make automatic spending cuts – also known as sequestration – enacted earlier this year permanent by not extending funding at pre-sequester levels.
House Republican leader Eric Cantor said a vote on the measure is expected this week.
Congress has bickered for months over spending levels, with Republicans calling for greater budget austerity, and has been unable to agree on a full federal budget for the next fiscal year.