WASHINGTON — House Democrats announced Tuesday an additional $28.6 billion in disaster relief and $6.3 billion in Afghan refugee aid has been added to a stopgap spending bill that needs to passed quickly in the coming weeks to avoid a government shutdown.
Panel Chair Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., released the legislation, known as a continuing resolution, to extend funding for federal agencies, including education, health, housing, and public safety programs, through December 3.
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On Monday, Democratic leaders announced plans to attach a debt limit extension to the stopgap funding bill, setting up a showdown with Republican senators.
Congress has until Sept. 30 to fund the government or risk a shutdown. The Treasury Department has said the debt limit will be breached sometime in October if it’s not lifted, which could disrupt the U.S. economy.
The House bill includes $28.6 billion to address recent disasters, including Hurricane Ida earlier this year and from last year Hurricanes Delta, Zeta and Laura, wildfires, severe droughts and winter storms, according to a release.
Separately, $6.8 billion will be provided to support Afghan evacuees including funds for temporary housing at American facilities and in foreign countries, necessary security screenings, and resettling costs for Afghans settling in the U.S.
“As we take that step today, providing help for people in desperate need is a moral imperative, said DeLauro in a statement.
The continuing resolution would also suspend the debt limit into December 2020, which Senate Republicans are expected to balk over.
“We’re left to the CR until December, we’re attaching the debt limit piece to keep sanity within the markets,” said House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., during a press conference Tuesday.
“And if those folks [Republicans] you known have concerns they should reach out to Senator McConnell and ask what full faith and credit of the United States Government means, it seems like Senate Republicans need to answer that.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
