Republicans block debt limit measure, stopgap funding as government shutdown looms
Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic measure aimed at averting a government shutdown and raising the federal debt limit Monday evening, leaving Congress with just days to cobble together a government funding bill.
The Senate voted 48-50, with Democrats falling short of the 60 votes needed to stop the Republican filibuster. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer changed his vote at the last minute, he said, in order to potentially reconsider the measure.
GOP senators "voted to drive our country straight toward a government shutdown and the first default in our country’s history," Schumer said.
The measure would have extended federal funding at the current levels through early December and would have provided billions in emergency relief funds for Afghan refugee resettlement and Hurricane Ida relief. It also would have raised the federal debt limit through December 2022.
Before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had tried to get the Senate to pass his own government funding bill stripped of a debt ceiling hike, but Democrats objected.
GOP Sen. John Kennedy, whose state was ravaged by multiple hurricanes, had called on Democratic senators to set aside the debt ceiling fight and pass the McConnell bill.
"Why are we fighting over this? You know, nature abhors a moron, and it’s moronic not to pass this," he said. "Let's not be moronic."
Kennedy had been the lone Republican to toy with voting yes on the Democrats' measure, bucking McConnell. But in the end, he stayed with his conference.
READ MORE: Republicans block debt limit measure, stopgap funding as government shutdown looms
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Posted By: Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
Monday, September 27th 2021 at 8:43PM
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