The House of Representatives passed a two-day interim spending bill on Friday to prevent a partial government shutdown, in an effort to gain time in slow negotiations over a nearly $ 1 trillion aid package to deal with the effects of the coronavirus.
The Senate is not guaranteed to make it, but it seems likely it will do so before the midnight deadline.
The lower house approved the bill with 320 votes in favor and 60 against. Now frustrated lawmakers will continue negotiations over the weekend.
Senate leader Mitch McConnell said earlier that he was “even more optimistic now than he was last night.”
Still, Democrats launched a concerted campaign to block an attempt by Republicans to curb the Federal Reserve’s emergency credit powers. They said the Republican proposal would deprive President-elect Joe Biden of the crucial tools to manage the economy.
Believing that an agreement can be reached on Friday “would be a triumph of hope for experience,” said the second-highest Republican in the Senate, John Thune.
Government funding expires at midnight on Friday, and there will be a partial shutdown with little impact if Congress doesn’t pass an interim spending bill before the deadline.
Democrats oppose a ruling by Republican Senator Pat Toomey that would cancel more than $ 400 billion in potential Fed lending powers imposed in March under an aid bill. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will shut down the programs in late December, but Toomey’s language continues, calling for the central bank to ban the loan again next year. Democrats say the provision will tie Biden’s hands and put the economy at risk.
The fight overshadowed progress on other issues in the highly anticipated agreement. After feeling overwhelmed for much of Thursday, the negotiators were more optimistic, although the complexities of reaching a negotiated solution to the remaining problems and drafting agreements in precise, legislative language was daunting.
Apparently the central points were ready: more than $ 300,000 million in aid to businesses; an additional federal unemployment benefit of $ 300 a week and extension of state benefits, which are about to expire; $ 600 direct payments to individuals; funding for the distribution of vaccines and money for tenants, schools, the postal services and people in need of food aid.
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