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U.S. NEWS A3
Saturday 29 April 2017
Congress settles for stopgap to avoid government shutdown
Continued from Front defect, the bill will fail, as- President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn as he arrives at the White House in Wash-
suming all Democrats op- ington, Friday, April 28, 2017, returning from traveling to Atlanta to speak at the National Rifle As-
But with Trump marking his pose it. sociation Leadership Forum.
presidency’s milestone Sat- House Speaker Paul Ryan,
urday, he did not wring any R-Wis., wants to avoid an (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
major legislation out of Con- encore of last month’s
gress, despite a renewed embarrassment, when he
White House push to revive abruptly canceled a vote
the House GOP’s health on a health care overhaul
care bill in time for a vote because of opposition
that could give him brag- from moderates and con-
ging rights. servatives alike.
House leaders are still short Republicans have recast
of votes for the revised the health bill to let states
health bill, though they escape a requirement un-
could bring it to the floor der Obama’s 2010 law that
next week if they find the insurers charge healthy
support they need. House and seriously ill customers
Majority Leader Kevin Mc- the same rates. The overall
Carthy said the plan was to legislation would cut the
pass the bill “as soon as pos- Medicaid program for the
sible.” poor, eliminate Obama’s
Also next week lawmak- fines for people who don’t
ers plan to pass a $1 trillion buy insurance and provide
package financing the gov- generally skimpier subsi-
ernment through Sept. 30, dies. Centrist Republicans
the end of the 2017 fiscal were the primary target
year. of lobbying by the White
The temporary spending bill House and GOP leaders.
keeps the government func- Meanwhile negotiations
tioning through next Friday, moved ahead on the
to allow lawmakers time to longer-term spending bill,
wrap up negotiations on the which would fund the day-
larger measure. to-day operations of virtu-
“Today’s measure shows the ally every federal agency.
American people that we Most of the core decisions
are making a good-faith ef- about agency budgets
fort to keep our government have been worked out,
open,” said Rep. Pete Ses- but unrelated policy issues
sions, R-Texas. “While this is — such as a Democratic
not ideal, I support this effort request to help the cash-
to provide our colleagues strapped government of
with more time to reach a Puerto Rico with its Medic-
final agreement on legisla- aid burden — are among
tion to fund the government the hold-ups.
through the fiscal year.” Democrats denied Trump
The struggle over both bills a win on obtaining an initial
was embarrassing to the down payment for his oft-
GOP, which has Trump in promised border wall with
the White House and ma- Mexico, while anti-abor-
jorities in Congress. Yet even tion lawmakers steered
with unified control, it’s clear of even attempting
proving an uphill fight for Re- to use the measure to try
publicans to make good on to cut off federal funds for
seven years’ worth of prom- Planned Parenthood. But
ises to repeal and replace Trump and defense hawks
former President Barack have procured a $15 billion
Obama’s health care law. infusion for the Pentagon
“I’m disappointed that it and funds for other border
doesn’t go quicker,” Trump security accounts such as
said of his interactions with detention beds for people
Congress, in an interview entering the country ille-
airing Friday on Fox News gally.
Channel. Republicans also are press-
At least 18 Republicans, ing for policy wins on block-
mostly moderates, said they ing environmental regu-
oppose the health care leg- lations such as Obama’s
islation, and many others re- sweeping expansion of the
mained publicly uncommit- Clean Water Act. But Dem-
ted. That puts party elders ocrats, whose votes are
in an uncomfortable spot needed to pass the mea-
because if 22 Republicans sure, are pushing back.q
