By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and the Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog. Tel: 216-659-0473.
Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Coleman is a 22-year political, legal and investigative journalist who trained for 17 years, and under six different editors, at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) /
(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com).
WASHINGTON, D.C. -President Barack Obama (pictured) on Wednesday night, and shortly before the midnight deadline, signed a spending bill into law that will avert a government shutdown by extending funds to government agencies until Dec. 11.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 277-151 late Wednesday night to pass the controversial bill, which originated in the Senate and comes following weeks of infighting between the Democrats and the Republicans that control both the House and the Senate.
“With today’s bipartisan vote, Congress has taken a step away from the brink,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a press release to Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper. “But the American people deserve far better than last-minute, short-term legislating.”
At the center of the controversy is funding for Planned Parenthood, which new law does not fund.
A companion bill, which also passed the House on Wednesday, restores funding for Planned Parenthood, but will likely not pass the Senate, sources said yesterday.
Obam has said that he supports Planned Parenhood and will push the Senate to pass the companion bill.
The short-term deal follows last week's surprise announcement by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, a U.S. representative since 1991 and House Speaker since 2011, that he will resign from Congress next month.
Boehner has been under fire from new Tea Party members of Congress that disagree with him on policy initiatives, including fiscal matters. Last week the federal lawmaker, whose 8th congressional district includes parts of the Ohio cities of Dayton and Cincinnati, said that he has enough.
A Democrat and America's first Black president whose second four-year term ends in 2017, Obama has about two and a half months to reach a long-term funding deal.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said that he hopes to reach a long term deal with the president and congressional Democrats in coming weeks that will remain in effect over the next two years. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) /
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