Posted on 10/16/2013 5:33:28 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The US Senate has passed a bill to reopen the government and raise the federal debt limit, with hours to spare before the nation risks default.
The Democratic-controlled Senate's bipartisan compromise won swift approval by 81 votes to 18.
It will now be sent to the House of Representatives, whose Republican leadership has begrudgingly said it will support the measure.
It comes hours before the deadline to raise the $16.7tn (£10.5tn) limit.
President Barack Obama is set to speak shortly at the White House.
The deal would extend the federal borrowing limit until 7 February and fund the government to 15 January.
The bill would also create a panel of Senate and House members to draw up a longer-term budget deal.
Speaking after the vote, Senate Democratic Majority leader Harry Reid said: "Let's be honest, this is pain inflicted on a nation for no good reason and we cannot, cannot make the same mistake again."
Republican Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, Sen Reid's negotiating partner, said earlier that the deal "is far less than many of us hoped for, quite frankly, but far better than what some had sought".
...
Congressional Republicans, who have borne the brunt of blame in opinion polls for the budget row, conceded defeat on Wednesday.
"We fought the good fight," Republican House Speaker John Boehner said in an interview with an Ohio radio station. "We just didn't win."
Meanwhile, the political post-mortem examination has already begun.
"This has been a really bad two weeks for the Republican Party," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
I had the same thought and am sure you’re right.
Oops! I feel bad now. I knew Inhofe had heart surgery, but I thought he was fully recovered and back on the job. Apparently that is not the case.
This is one of the many times I wish I could delete a comment on FR. ;-)
Yes, me too. I’d read about it but forgot.
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