Stopgap spending bill goes to Bush
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WASHINGTON — The Senate approved a stopgap spending bill Thursday to prevent a government shutdown and extend the Treasury Department’s ability to finance the budget deficit.
The measure, which was approved 94 to 1, was needed because Congress has not sent President Bush a single appropriations bill, and the fiscal year begins Monday. Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.) cast the vote against it. A debt limit increase measure passed by a 53-42 vote.
The House passed the stopgap funding bill Wednesday and passed the debt limit increase when adopting its budget plan in May.
The bills will now go to the White House for Bush to sign by Monday, which also is when the government will hit its borrowing ceiling of $8.965 trillion. The new debt limit would be $9.815 trillion.
Congress has never failed to prevent default on U.S. obligations by raising the debt ceiling.
The stopgap spending measure would keep all 15 Cabinet departments running at current levels through mid-November.
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