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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 23 SepteMber 2024
Spending deal averts a possible federal shutdown and funds the

government into December

By KEVIN FREKING chance in the Democratic-
Associated Press controlled Senate and was
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- opposed by the White House,
gressional leaders announced but it did give the speaker a
an agreement Sunday on a chance to show Trump and
short-term spending bill that conservatives within his con-
will fund federal agencies for ference that he fought for
about three months, averting their request.
a possible partial government The final result — government
shutdown when the new bud- funding effectively on auto-
get year begins Oct. 1 and pilot — was what many had
pushing final decisions until predicted. With the election
after the November election. just weeks away, few law-
Temporary spending bills gen- makers in either party had
erally fund agencies at cur- any appetite for the brinks-
rent levels, but an additional manship that often leads to
$231 million was included to a shutdown.
bolster the Secret Service, Senate Majority Leader
and additional money was Chuck Schumer said the
added to replenish a disaster same agreement could have
relief fund and aid with the been reached two weeks
presidential transition, among ago, but "Speaker Johnson
other things. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks to a meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. chose to follow the MAGA
Lawmakers have struggled to 11, 2024. way and wasted precious
get to this point as the current Associated Press time."
budget year winds to a close the bill went down to defeat tensions that are absolutely a bipartisan path to avoid a As I have said throughout this
at month's end. At the urg- anyway, with 14 Republicans necessary." government shutdown that process, there is only one way
ing of the most conservative opposing it. "While this is not the solution would hurt everyday Ameri- to get things done, with bi-
members of his conference, Bipartisan negotiations be- any of us prefer, it is the most cans." partisan, bicameral support,"
House Speaker Mike Johnson, gan in earnest shortly after prudent path forward under Rep. Tom Cole, the House Schumer said.
R-La., had linked temporary that, with leadership agree- the present circumstances," Appropriations Committee Now a bipartisan majority is
funding with a mandate that ing to extend funding into Johnson wrote. "As history has chairman, had said on Friday expected to push the short-
would have compelled states mid-December. That gives taught and current polling that talks were going well. term measure over the finish
to require proof of citizenship the current Congress the affirms, shutting the govern- "So far, nothing has come up line this week. The agreement
when people register to vote. ability to fashion a full-year ment down less than 40 days that we can't deal with," said on the short-term measure
But Johnson could not get spending bill after the Nov. from a fateful election would Cole, R-Okla. "Most people does not mean getting to a
all Republicans on board 5 election, rather than push be an act of political mal- don't want a government final spending bill will be easy
even as the party's presi- that responsibility to the next practice." shutdown and they don't in December. The election
dential nominee, Donald Congress and president. House Democratic leader Ha- want that to interfere with results could also influence
Trump, insisted on that pack- In a letter to Republican col- keem Jeffries said Democrats the election. So nobody is the political calculations if
age. Trump said Republican leagues, Johnson said the would evaluate the bill in its like, 'I've got to have this or one party fares much bet-
lawmakers should not support budget measure would be entirety before this week's we're walking.' It's just not ter than the other, potentially
a stop-gap measure without "very narrow, bare-bones" vote, but with the agree- that way." pushing the fight into early
the voting requirement, but and include "only the ex- ment, "Congress is now on Johnson's earlier effort had no next year.q

California governor signs law banning all

plastic shopping bags at grocery stores

tic that purportedly made lograms) per year in 2004 to plastics campaign direc-
them reusable and recy- 11 pounds (5 kilograms) per tor, said Sunday that the
clable. The new measure, year in 2021. Blakespear, new ban on single-use plas-
approved by state legis- a Democrat from Encini- tic bags at grocery store
lators last month, bans all tas, said the previous bag checkouts "solidifies Califor-
plastic shopping bags start- ban passed a decade ago nia as a leader in tackling
ing in 2026. Consumers who didn't reduce the overall the global plastic pollution
don't bring their own bags use of plastic. crisis."
will now simply be asked if "We are literally choking our Twelve states, including
they want a paper bag. planet with plastic waste," California, already have
A plastic bag sits along a roadside in Sacramento, Calif., Oct. State Sen. Catherine Blake- she said in February. some type of statewide
25, 2013. spear, one of the bill's sup- The environmental non- plastic bag ban in place,
Associated Press porters, said people were profit Oceana applauded according to the environ-
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) all plastic shopping bags. not reusing or recycling any Newsom for signing the bill mental advocacy group
— "Paper or plastic" will no California had already plastic bags. and "safeguarding Cali- Environment America Re-
longer be a choice at gro- banned thin plastic shop- She pointed to a state fornia's coastline, marine search & Policy Center.
cery store checkout lines ping bags at supermarkets study that found that the life, and communities from Hundreds of cities across
in California under a new and other stores, but shop- amount of plastic shopping single-use plastic grocery 28 states also have their
law signed Sunday by Gov. pers could purchase bags bags trashed per person bags." own plastic bag bans in
Gavin Newsom that bans made with a thicker plas- grew from 8 pounds (3.6 ki- Christy Leavitt, Oceana's place.q