WASHINGTON — The House approved Friday a package of bills that ties emergency funding for hurricane relief with measures that would raise the debt ceiling and keep the government open for three months.
The bill, which passed 316-90 and was part of a deal struck between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders, now goes to the White House for the President’s signature. The 90 lawmakers who opposed the bill were all Republicans, who had just come out of a meeting with top administration officials urging them to support the package. The Senate passed the legislation Thursday.
Trump, in a surprising move, signed onto the package Wednesday, siding with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, who proposed bundling the bills together but only with a three-month extension for the debt ceiling, essentially punting the issue until December.
Republican leaders had sought a debt limit increase for as long as 18 months.
Seventeen senators — all Republicans — voted against the package Thursday, most of whom said they wanted to support emergency funds for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma but opposed the idea of raising the debt ceiling for only three months and without any spending cuts or reforms.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. (Photo: CNN)
