Washington – Congressional Democrats unveiled legislation Tuesday to keep the government running until mid-November, giving them more time to bridge gaping differences with President Bush over the budget.
The stopgap legislation is needed as the Oct. 1 start of the fiscal year looms with none of the 12 annual spending bills, which fund government agencies and departments, having been signed into law.
Only four of the annual appropriations bills have passed both the House and Senate. Some lawmakers are worried that veto battles with Bush could keep Congress in session until Christmas.
The stopgap spending bill would fund at current levels the budgets of 15 Cabinet departments and dozens of agencies until Nov. 16.
The measure also provides $5.2 billion to provide additional heavy armored vehicles that offer better protection to troops in Iraq from roadside bombs. And it provides additional resources for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that lawmakers believe will provide enough to maintain the accelerated tempo in Iraq until Congress and Bush sort out his huge request for the war.
