US Congress passes temporary funding bill to avoid gov't shutdown

  The U.S. Senate on late Friday passed a legislation to fund the federal government through April 28, avoiding a government shutdown.

The document was passed 63-36, and will be sent to President Barack Obama to sign into law. The House of Representatives passed the legislation on Thursday.

The passage reflected the desire of both parties in the Congress to keep the government open past Saturday when the current funding was set to expire.

Before the passage of the legislation, both parties in the Congress fought on health and retirement benefits for coal miners. Blue-collar voters, including miners, supported Republican candidate Donald Trump in the November presidential election.

The government funding bill would keep federal agencies afloat until April 28. It also included funds for repairing the lead-tainted water system in Flint, Michigan, and for flood-affected regions such as in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Moreover, it contained a provision which would make it easier for President-elect Trump to win the confirmation of General James Mattis as defense secretary early next year.

Early next year, the U.S. Congress will have to confirm various executive branch nominations, work on tax and regulation reforms with the new administration, and reach an agreement on public expenditures for the rest of the fiscal year 2017, which starts from Oct. 1, 2016 and ends on Sept. 30, 2017.

source: Xinhua