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March 4, 2024
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A r u b a ’ s O N L Y E n g l i s h n e w s p a p e r
Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper
Congressional leaders come out with 6 spending bills in a drive to

avoid a partial shutdown

By KEVIN FREKING hope to complete votes
Associated Press on the package this week
WASHINGTON (AP) — and continue negotiations
Congressional leaders on on the remaining six an-
Sunday came out with a nual spending bills to pass
package of six bills setting them before a March 22
full-year spending levels for deadline. The price tag for
some federal agencies, a the package out Sunday
step forward in a long over- comes to about $460 bil-
due funding process beset lion, representing less than
by sharp political divisions 30% of the discretionary
between the two parties spending Congress looks
as well as infighting among to approve for this year.
House Republicans. The package still being ne-
The release of the text of gotiated includes defense
legislation over the week- spending.
end was designed to meet House Speaker Mike John-
the House's rule to give law- son highlighted some key
makers at least 72 hours to policy and spending wins
study a bill before voting. for conservatives, even as
And it's a promising sign many of his GOP colleagues
that lawmakers will avoid consider the changes inad-
a partial shutdown that equate. Some House Re-
would kick in at 12:01 a.m. publicans had hoped the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 29, 2024.
Saturday for those agen- prospect of a shutdown Shortages of ammunition and supplies are resulting in Ukraine losing ground, congressional lead-
ers warn, yet the Republican-controlled House has shown little hurry to resupply Kyiv with military
cies covered under the bill, could leverage more con- aid.
such as Veterans Affairs, cessions from Democrats. Associated Press
Agriculture, Transportation, Overall, this year’s spend-
Justice and others. ing bills would keep non- ly flat with last year’s bill, and some $70 billion less den originally sought.
Congressional leaders defense spending relative- despite the rise in inflation, than what President Joe Bi- Continued on next page