After a night-long drama set off by a Republican Senator’s filibuster that briefly plunged the US into a second government shutdown in three weeks, a determined Congress sat through Thursday night and cleared a massive budget deal to ensure that the government reopened on the dot on Friday morning.
The bipartisan deal infusing more than $300 billion in additional funds for the defence establishment and a host of non-military programmes faced stiff resistance from Republican fiscal conservatives, but Democrats came to the rescue of Speaker Paul Ryan in the House of Republicans that witnessed some wild cross-voting.
While the Senate passed the measure comfortably (71-28) shortly before 2 am on Friday, the House vote around 5.30 a.m. appeared to be up for uncertainty till as many as 73 Democrats voted in support to see the measure through even as 67 Republicans voted against it. Finally, it was a comfortable 240-186 win in the House as well.
President Donald Trump promptly signed the bill into law a couple of hours later to reopen the Government after the notional night-time shutdown. “Just signed Bill. Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!” he tweeted, commending the passage.
The deal raises budget caps by $300 billion over the next two years, increases the debt ceiling and offers up to $90 billion in disaster relief for hurricane-ravaged Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. While an extra $165 billion would go to the Pentagon, non-defence programmes get an additional $131 billion.
The Senate commotion was triggered by Senator Rand Paul, the libertarian Republican with a strong position against big government spending, particularly on military. He successfully stalled the voting for hours on end till midnight. Thereafter, it was a new day and the leadership got a handle on the proceedings and went through with the vote.
“The reason I’m here tonight is to put people on the spot,” Senator Paul said in his long-winded speech. “I want people to feel uncomfortable. I want them to have to answer people at home who said, ‘How come you were against President Obama’s deficits and then how come you’re for Republican deficits?’”
Paul came for sharp criticism from some fellow-Republicans. “I think it’s irresponsible,” said John Cornyn, the Senate Majority Whip, commenting that “the act of a single senator who just is trying to make a point but doesn’t really care too much about who he inconveniences.”
In the House, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who created a record on Wednesday by speaking for over eight hours to demand a simultaneous deal for lakhs of young, illegal immigrants, had announced she would oppose the budget deal. She asked fellow Democrats to leverage their vote for getting a deal for Dreamers, but eventually she let them vote as per their conscience as the budget bill anyway makes large provisions for disaster relief, infrastructure development and combating opioid abuse.