Lawmakers Avert Third Federal Shutdown

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 29) -- Hours before Congress was scheduled to recess for spring break, budget talks for fiscal 1996 ended yet again without resolution. To avert a third partial federal shutdown, lawmakers resorted to another tempororary funding measure, the 12th stopgap funding resolution since the fiscal year began Oct. 1.

Passed by voice vote in the House and 64-24 in the Senate, the bill funds many agencies at 75 percent of last year's levels. President Bill Clinton objects to that, but plans to sign the measure anyway.

Negotiators claimed they were within an hour of a deal, but talks won't resume until April 15. "I really don't think it will take very long" to reach a final deal, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livinginston (R-La.) told reporters. But Rep. David Obey (D-Wisc.) cautioned the White House had not agreed to much of the plan.

On Thursday, Congress ended a fight over the debt ceiling, raising it from $4.9 trillion to $5.5 trillion. GOP lawmakers had earlier sought to condition any increase on structural changes to Medicaid. But Clinton vetoed those measures and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin avoided a default by dipping into government trust funds, a move that some Republicans said was unconstitutional.

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