International Courant
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet held up the vote on the persevering with decision (CR) to keep away from a authorities shutdown on Saturday evening, citing considerations about its lack of funding for Ukraine, sources inform Fox Information.
The holdup got here after the Home permitted the short-term spending invoice Saturday afternoon, passing 335-91. It later handed the Senate late Saturday evening with 88 yeas to 9 nays.
The invoice, whose passage triggered members of Congress to applaud amid the strain of a authorities shutdown, will fund the federal government for an additional 45 days. The invoice authorizes $16 billion in catastrophe aid, however doesn’t embody aid to Ukraine — which Bennet, a Democrat, objected to.
Bennet informed reporters that he was nonetheless in a position to make progress throughout the aisle in regard to giving extra assist to Ukraine, which has been warring with Russian troops for a year-and-a-half.
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U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. (Rod Lamkey-Pool/Getty Pictures/File)
“It is labored out as a result of we have been in a position to get a press release from the management that is going to be launched quickly, speaking concerning the bipartisan assist for totally funding Ukraine and ensuring that we fulfill a task that all the world is counting on us to satisfy,” Bennet mentioned.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., beforehand mentioned Saturday afternoon that she anticipated a “main, main struggle on Ukraine.”
“And I am positive you will hear from the President and the commander-in-chief of how we are going to be certain that there will likely be uninterrupted assist to Ukraine,” Klobuchar mentioned. “That’s going to be our primary purpose.”
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The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, informed reporters Saturday night that she anticipated the Ukraine matter to be resolved earlier than midnight “in an effort to keep away from a shutdown.” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin informed Fox Information that he did not understand how lengthy it could take for Bennet to agree on the CR.
If the Senate rejected the invoice, hundreds of federal workers would have been furloughed and “nonessential” authorities packages would have paused indefinitely.
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Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., communicate exterior the Senate Chamber following passage within the Home of a 45-day persevering with decision Saturday in Washington, D.C. (Nathan Howard/Getty Pictures)
Fox Information Digital reached out to Bennet’s workplace for remark, however has not heard again.
