CRISIS AVERTED?

Funding Deal Reached to Avoid Government Shutdown

Will cover spending by all federal agencies until Oct. 1.

Congressional negotiators have reached a $1 trillion funding bill agreement after weeks of wrangling and amid fears of a government shutdown. The deal, which comes after a stop-gap spending bill allowed Congress to avoid a shutdown last week, will cover all federal agencies until Oct. 1, the Associated Press reported. The agreement has reportedly seen Republicans back off from some of their more contentious proposals, including plans to remove funding from Planned Parenthood and deprive “sanctuary” cities of federal grants. While the bill will not give President Trump funding for his border wall with Mexico, it does give a $15 billion boost to the military, the report said. It also rejects White House requests to slash funding for certain medical research programs and adds $1.5 billion to bolster border security. The Senate and U.S. House of Representatives will have to approve the bill by the end of Friday, and then it will be sent to Trump for his signature. The Senate’s top Democrat expressed praise for the measure late Sunday. Saying the bill ensures that “taxpayer dollars aren’t used to fund an ineffective border wall,” Sen. Chuck Schumer described it as a “good agreement for the American people” and one that “takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table.”