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Trump vetoes sweeping US defense bill
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump vetoed a broad defense funding bill sent to him by Congress Wednesday, complaining that it helps Russia and China and objecting to provisions to rename military bases. The bipartisan bill was passed by high enough margins in both chambers of Congress for lawmakers to -- in theory -- override the president's rejection. The veto of the $740 billion measure to fund the military for fiscal 2021 came a day after the US leader, with less than one month left in office, threw a separate $900 billion Covid-19 relief bill and overall funding for the governmen...
AFP
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Trump signs one-week funding stopgap, averting shutdown
Washington (AFP) - The US Senate approved and President Donald Trump signed a one-week budget stopgap Friday that avoids a government shutdown and allows lawmakers to continue negotiations over getting pandemic relief to millions of Americans. The Senate passed the measure by voice vote days after the House of Representatives approved the so-called continuing resolution, which extends current funding for all federal agencies through December 18. Trump signed it Friday evening, the White House said, hours ahead of a midnight deadline that would have seen funding for federal operations dry up. T...
AFP
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US Congress passes defense bill despite Trump veto threat
Washington (AFP) - The US Senate overwhelmingly passed a sweeping defense budget bill Friday with a veto-proof majority, defying President Donald Trump who has threatened to block the legislation six weeks from leaving office. With both chambers having now passed the measure by sizable majorities, lawmakers from both parties have collectively thrown down the gauntlet before the Republican leader and signalled he would face an override if he moves to veto the bill. The must-pass $740.5 billion measure has earned Trump's ire in part because it does not abolish a law granting social media firms l...
AFP
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Trumps says will pass 'best stimulus' after election
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Republicans will approve a pandemic rescue package for the US economy after the November 3 election, seeming to concede defeat on efforts to reach a deal this week.He also improbably predicted Republicans would regain control of the lower house of Congress, and blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the impasse in talks over steps to help counteract the devastating impact that the health crisis has had on households and businesses."She's not interested in helping the people," Trump told reporters at the White House. "But after the elec...
AFP
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US stimulus talks slow but continue, prospects dimming
Washington (AFP) - US policymakers held another round of talks Monday on a new spending package to aid the virus-hit economy, but the negotiations have lost momentum, dimming hopes that an agreement can be reached before the November 3 election.With Covid-19 cases on the rise nationwide, the need for stimulus has taken on a new urgency, especially as many support programs have expired or are about to, including a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions as well as loans for small businesses, which threatens to spark a wave of bankruptcies and homelessness.After months of negotiations between T...
AFP
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Stimulus talks slow but continue: White House official
Washington (AFP) - US policymakers continue to hold talks on a new spending package to aid the virus-hit economy, but the negotiations have lost momentum amid division, a White House adviser said Monday."The talks have certainly slowed down, but they're not ending," economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on CNBC.After months of negotiations between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, time has nearly run out to get stimulus approved before the November 3 election. Whether it can be approved in the "lame duck" session before the new Congress is seated in Janu...
AFP
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White House official says next 48 hours key for stimulus deal
Washington (AFP) - A White House official on Wednesday said the next two days of talks over a new US stimulus package will be critical, as Washington policymakers touted only incremental progress in negotiations.After months of dialogue and increasing signs of progress in recent days, both Democrats and Republicans say differences remain but they are nonetheless starting to put elements in writing that could become a legislative package costing trillions of dollars.Congressional Democrats have been holding out for a broad bill with a number of support measures while Republicans have tried to h...
AFP
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US officials more optimistic on stimulus, timing unclear
Washington (AFP) - Chances for approving a new spending package to support the US economy improved dramatically on Tuesday after the senior Democratic lawmaker said a bill is in the works and the top Senate Republican said he would bring it to a vote.Both sides said they made progress in talks, but whether negotiations can be completed in time for Congress to approve the package before the November 3 presidential election remains a question mark.US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Bloomberg TV that legislators are starting to commit the measure to paper.While the bill must go through legisla...
AFP
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US officials set for final stimulus talks as deadline looms
Washington (AFP) - With the clock fast counting down, key US policymakers were set to meet later Tuesday in what could be the final round of talks before time runs out to approve a rescue package ahead of the November 3 election.Economists say the coronavirus-ravaged US economy has held up well because of the massive injection of about $3 trillion in support for businesses and households, but needs more support to avert another downturn.The talks between the White House and congressional Democrats have dragged on for months with little progress, and US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday th...
AFP
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Trump signs bill averting government shutdown
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump signed Thursday a spending bill that averts a government shutdown and extends funding weeks beyond the November 3 presidential election, after Democrats reached a deal with the White House and Republicans.The bipartisan text easily cleared the Senate Wednesday by 84 votes to 10 a week after it passed the House of Representatives.It then went to Trump, who signed the so-called Continuing Resolution in the wee hours of Thursday, White House spokesman Judd Deere said.Trump needed to sign the stop-gap measure by 11:59 pm Wednesday to avoid a partial govern...
AFP