Page 5 - Aruba Today

U.S. NEWS A5
Friday 25 September 2015

US Senate leader moves ahead with stopgap spending bill

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. The and well shy of the 60 votes of their fractious rank and
required in the 100-mem- file for Friday to discuss
Senate is preparing to vote on legislation that would keep the government open beyond next ber chamber to overcome whether to accept the
delaying tactics led by Senate’s move or reject it
Wednesday’s deadline at a price Democrats are certain to reject _ stripping taxpayer money Democrats. Eight Republi- at the risk that continuing
cans, several of whom sup- the fight over Planned Par-
from Planned Parenthood. The next steps aren’t set in stone, although McConnell has promised port abortion rights, voted enthood would lead to a
with 42 Democrats and government shutdown.
there won’t be a government shutdown. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) two independents to kill The White House signaled
the measure. President Barack Obama
McConnell immediately would sign the measure,
offered a bipartisan stop- called a continuing reso-
gap spending bill free of lution, into law — if the
the Planned Parenthood House steps aside from the
dispute that’s expected fight tea party Republicans
to easily clear the Senate want over “defunding”
next week by a wide bipar- Planned Parenthood.
tisan margin. He has for al- “I think we all know we’re
most a year promised that going to have a clean CR,”
Republicans controlling said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a
Congress won’t repeat the Republican, using congres-
government shutdown of sional code. “The House is
two years ago that hurt the going to figure out what
party politically. the House is going to do
In the House, Republican but we can’t shut down
leaders called a meeting the government.”q

ANDREW TAYLOR The action of Majority have intensified after the
Associated Press Leader Mitch McConnell release of secretly record-
WASHINGTON (AP) — followed a decisive Sen- ed videos that raised ques-
The U.S. Senate’s top Re- ate vote blocking a bill tions about its handling of
publican moved swiftly to that would have stripped fetal tissue provided to sci-
avoid a government shut- Planned Parenthood of entific researchers.
down in six days, pushing its taxpayer funding while The group says it is doing
legislation that would keep keeping the government nothing wrong and isn’t
agencies operating with- running through Dec. 11. profiting from such prac-
out a contentious fight over Planned Parenthood, a tices in violation of federal
money for women’s health nonprofit organization, has law.
care provider Planned Par- long been targeted by Re- The Senate vote was 47-52,
enthood. publicans, but their efforts falling short of a majority

Rubio calls Trump ‘touchy and insecure’

ADAM BEAM criticized his lack of foreign than a ten-second sound-
Associated Press policy experience. The for- bite on any key issue,” Ru-
FRANKFORT, Kentucky (AP) mer reality television star bio said. “I think he’s kind
— Republican presidential has lashed out at several of been exposed a little bit
candidate Marco Rubio Republican rivals in a cam- over the last seven days
jabbed billionaire busi- paign consumed by per- and he’s a touchy and in-
nessman Donald Trump as sonal attacks at times. secure guy. So that’s how
“touchy and insecure” on Several national polls show he reacts and people can
Thursday, joining the cho- Trump leading a crowded see through it.”
rus of Trump critics who Republican presidential Rubio is one of several Re-
have intensified pressure field, which includes former publican presidential can-
on the Republican front- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and didates taking an interest
runner in recent weeks. Rubio. Despite his strong in Kentucky since the state
The Florida senator also showing in the polls, Trump party voted to have a pres-
challenged Trump’s com- is still considered a long idential caucus on March 5
mand of the issues during shot to win the presidency. instead of its traditional pri-
an interview with Kentucky Breaking his silence on mary in May.
Sports Radio, the most Trump, Rubio responded The shift allows Republican
widely listened-to sports Thursday that the real contender Rand Paul, the
talk show in the state. Be- estate mogul is “not re- state’s junior senator, to
fore Thursday, Rubio was ally well informed on the is- work around a state law
among the few Republi- sues” and relies on attack- banning candidates from
can White House hopefuls ing people. appearing on the ballot
who largely avoided en- “He had a really bad de- twice in the same election.
gaging with Trump. bate performance last Paul, who is up for re-elec-
A day earlier, Trump had week. He’s not well in- tion in November as well,
called Rubio a “light- formed on the issues. He paid the state Republican
weight” while campaign- really never talks about is- party $250,000 to cover the
ing in South Carolina and sues and can’t have more cost of the shift.q