US Senate advances $1.7t govt funding bill

WASHINGTON — A $1.66 trillion government spending bill has drawn overwhelming bipartisan support in the United States' Senate as lawmakers steered it toward passage before a weekend deadline to avoid a partial shutdown of federal agencies.

Democratic and Republican negotiators agreed early on Tuesday morning on the sweeping bill to fund the federal government through the end of its fiscal year on Sept 30, raising funding from about $1.5 trillion in the last fiscal year.

The Senate voted 70-25 to proceed to debate of the bill, with some Republican senators hoping to offer amendments.

A handful of conservative Senate Republicans on Tuesday said they objected to the bill, but would not try to stop its passage.

"Under no circumstances are we going to go over the shutdown deadline," said Senator Mike Lee, who joined a news conference with four allies to speak out against the measure. Fellow Republican Senator Mike Braun said the group will intensify its budget reform efforts next year, when Republicans take control of the House of Representatives.

"We are not going to win this war with theatrics," Braun added.

The bill includes other measures agreed on by negotiators from both parties, including a ban on the use of TikTok on government-owned devices and clarification of Congress' role in certifying elections, an attempt to avoid a repeat of the violence of Jan 6, 2021.

While the new federal ban is not expected to put a significant dent on TikTok's estimated 130 million US users, experts consulted by Reuters said the measure could damage the company's reputation, which could in turn scare away valuable advertisers.

"That is what TikTok is at massive risk for: of having that brand reputational (blow) impact the overall revenue monetization that they can make," Eunice Shin, a partner at brand strategist Prophet, said.

Senate and House leaders now aim to pass the 4,155-page bill and send it to US President Joe Biden for signing by the end of the week to ensure there are no interruptions to the government's activities.

Tuesday's vote was the first in a series of steps clearing the way for passage by Friday.

Failure to pass legislation in time could bring a partial government shutdown beginning Saturday, just before Christmas, and possibly lead into a monthslong standoff after Republicans take control of the House on Jan 3, breaking the grip of Biden's Democrats on both chambers of Congress.

Budget experts found fault with the bill's size.

"This budget is too late and too big," Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said. She noted that much of the spending increases are to keep pace with inflation, but said "a lower number would help bring inflation down".

Millions to lose Medicaid

According to The Associated Press, millions of people who enrolled in Medicaid during the COVID-19 pandemic could start to lose their coverage on April 1 if Congress passes the massive spending package.

The legislation will sunset a requirement of the COVID-19 public health emergency that prohibited states from booting people off Medicaid. The Biden administration has been under pressure to declare the public health emergency over, with 25 Republican governors asking the president to end it in a letter on Monday, which cited growing concerns about bloated Medicaid enrollment.

"This is a positive for states in terms of planning, however, this will come at the cost of some individuals losing their healthcare," Massey Whorley, a principal at health consulting firm Avalere, said.

Agencies via Xinhua