WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has rejected a
Democratic effort to extend the government's ability to borrow money through
next year.
Before the vote, Republican senators said
Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have begun
negotiations aimed at extending the country's borrowing limit and ending the
12-day-old government shutdown.
It was a near party-line vote - 53-45 - that
derailed the Democratic measure. The 53 votes were seven short of the 60
required to overcome Republican objections to considering the measure.
Earlier in the day, House Speaker John
Boehner told fellow Republicans that his talks with President Barack Obama have
stalled.
The administration has warned it will deplete
its borrowing authority by Oct. 17, risking a damaging federal default, unless
Congress acts.
A timeline of Congress' battle over the
partial government shutdown and expiring federal borrowing authority:
Sept. 20: Republican-run House ignores White
House veto threat, votes to keep government open through Dec. 15 if President
Barack Obama agrees to cut off money for his 2010 health care law.
Sept. 24-25: Tea party Sen. Ted Cruz,
R-Texas, and other conservatives speak on Senate floor for more than 21
consecutive hours about using shutdown bill to weaken health care law.
Sept. 27: Democratic-led Senate votes to
remove House-approved provision defunding health care law, sends bill keeping
agencies open through Nov. 15 back to House.
Sept. 29: House shifts demands on health care
law, votes to delay implementation for a year and repeal tax on medical
devices. Separately, House votes to pay troops in case of shutdown. Senate
approves bill next day, Obama signs it into law.
Sept. 30: Senate rejects latest House
provisions curbing health care law. House reworks shutdown bill again, delaying
for a year health care law requirement that individuals buy health insurance
and requiring members of Congress and staff to pay full expense of health
insurance, without government paying part of costs. Senate kills latest House
health care provisions.
Oct. 1: Government's new fiscal year begins,
partial federal shutdown starts. House stands by language delaying required
individual health coverage and blocking federal health insurance subsidies for
Congress, requests formal negotiations with Senate. Senate quickly rejects
House effort for formal bargaining.
Oct. 2: Embarking on strategy of voting to
restart popular programs, Republicans push bills through House reopening
national parks and National Institutes of Health and letting the District of
Columbia municipal government spend money. Democrats mostly vote
"no," saying entire government must reopen. Senate ignores the
measures. Obama discusses impasse with congressional leaders at White House, no
progress reported.
Oct. 3: House votes to pay members of the
National Guard and Reserves and finance veterans' programs.
Oct. 4: House votes to finance federal
disaster aid programs and feeding programs for infants and pregnant women.
Republicans increasingly tie shutdown fight to need for Congress to renew
federal borrowing authority by Oct. 17 or risk economy-rattling government
default. GOP leaders increasingly shift their conditions for passage of the
shutdown and debt limit bills to deficit reduction.Oct. 5: House votes to pay furloughed federal workers when shutdown ends. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says he is bringing most of his department's 350,000 furloughed workers back to work immediately.
Oct. 6: House Speaker John Boehner says House
won't pass bills ending shutdown or raising debt limit without negotiations on
GOP demands.
Oct. 7: House votes to fund Food and Drug
Administration programs.
Oct. 8: House votes to finance Head Start,
pay civil servants working during shutdown and create panel of lawmakers to
negotiate on deficit reduction. Obama and Boehner suggest they might consider
short-term bills ending the shutdown and extending the debt limit to give them
time to negotiate.
Oct. 9: House votes to pay halted death
benefits to families of fallen troops and to finance Federal Aviation
Administration.
Oct. 10: Boehner proposes six-week debt limit
extension, conditioned on Obama bargaining over spending cuts and reopening
government. House GOP leaders discuss standoff with Obama at White House, no
deal but both sides cite progress. Senate passes bill providing death benefits
for slain troops and Obama signs it, House votes to fund border security
programs.
Oct. 11: White House, congressional
Republicans continue bargaining. House passes bill financing nuclear weapons
security, research. A bipartisan Senate group works on a measure that would
reopen the government and prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its bills.Source: By The Associated Press October 12, 2013 - 07:37 am Updated: October 12, 2013 - 03:19 pm Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/10/government-shutdown-no-good-reason-to-continue-shutdown-obama-says-95296_page2.html#ixzz2hYAI8cy7
Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/10/government-shutdown-no-good-reason-to-continue-shutdown-obama-says-95296_page2.html#ixzz2hY9zjPwz
Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/10/government-shutdown-no-good-reason-to-continue-shutdown-obama-says-95296.html#ixzz2hY9XwlIG
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