What’s Happening:

For several weeks, Congress has been battling to pass a government funding bill. Hardliner Republicans in the House have been fighting Speaker McCarthy. They are demanding major spending cuts or they won’t vote to pass. This has raised fears of a government shutdown.

But the upper chamber also needs to provide a spending bill of its own. The Senate reportedly worked “through the weekend” to come up with a bill that might end up on Biden’s desk.

Both parties are claiming victory, stating they worked in “good faith” to produce this spending bill. But what’s inside this piece of legislation might not go over well with some Americans.

From Fox News:
In a bid to avert a government shutdown by Saturday, lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled Senate released a “clean” Continuing Resolution (CR) on Tuesday that would keep the government funded through Nov. 17…

The short-term CR includes only $6.2 billion allocated to Ukraine — an $18 billion decrease from President Joe Biden’s August request to Congress. Another $6 billion is allocated to natural disaster funding. The CR does not include any additional funding for border security like the House’s version.

Senate Republicans and Democrats are declaring victory on a spending bill that passed out of debate. It could be voted on by the end of the work. While both parties are saying this is a bipartisan achievement, it includes a provision that might not go over well with House Republicans.

The Senate agreed to continue funding the Ukraine war. Despite growing opposition from Americans and Republican lawmakers, the upper chamber included $6.2 billion from U.S. taxpayers to be spent on the overseas conflict. This will certainly be opposed by House Republicans who are demanding an end to Ukraine spending.

In addition to this, the bill does not include funding for border security. The border crisis has become a major concern for millions of Americans. Blue cities are overwhelmed by migrants, struggling to maintain order. Reports indicate that drug cartels are controlling the border. Yet the Senate neglected any funding to reduce this national security issue.

Chances are, House leaders will not support this “bipartisan” bill. And critics will blast the Senate for spending $6 billion on the Ukraine war, but not a penny on protecting America’s border.

Key Takeaways:

• The Senate approved a spending bill that could keep the government from shutting down.
• The bill includes $6.2 billion for the Ukraine war, against the demands of some lawmakers.
• The spending bill does not have any funding for the border, which has become overrun by migrants.

Source: Fox News