President Joe Biden signed a bill to fund the government just hours before the government was set to enter a technical shutdown, avoiding a shutdown and providing disaster relief funding. Members of both parties expressed relief, but the bill is likely to only delay, not resolve, future fights.
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Jimmy Carter will celebrate his 99th birthday with his family on Sunday, a day earlier than planned to avoid potential disruption from a federal government shutdown. The celebration will take place in the same one-story structure where the Carters lived before he was first elected to the Georgia Senate in 1962. Carter was born in 1924 in rural Georgia, becoming the first future American president born in a hospital. His grandson Jason Carter reflects on the remarkable accomplishments of his grandparents and their commitment to their small hometown.
The Senate passed a bipartisan bill Saturday evening to keep the government funded for 45 days, just three hours before a midnight deadline. The bill, which was passed earlier by the House with a substantial bipartisan vote of 335-91, will keep the government funded at existing levels through November 17th and authorize additional disaster relief money. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law, preventing active-duty troops from not getting paid, travelers from experiencing airport delays, and millions of women and children from losing access to vital nutrition assistance.
Biden is out West raising money for his re-election campaign and delivering a speech about American democracy, while the House is putting a stopgap measure on the floor to keep the government open for 45 days. The president is focusing on his accomplishments as president, including his efforts to tackle the pandemic, rebuild the economy, and address climate change.
With the midnight deadline looming, the US is facing a potential government shutdown due to a disagreement between hard-right Republicans and the White House over spending cuts and border security. If a shutdown occurs, it would mean no paychecks for federal workers, the closure of federal parks and monuments, and disruptions to food and education programs for low-income children. The White House and Congress are continuing to negotiate in an effort to reach a deal before the deadline.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazer in American politics, passed away on Thursday at the age of 90, leaving an open seat in the United States Senate for California. Gov. Gavin Newsom has reaffirmed a pledge to appoint a Black woman to fill the vacancy, and hopes to make the decision soon. Feinstein was the first woman to serve as a U.S. Senator from California, and was a powerful advocate for women's rights, civil rights, and gun control.
The looming government shutdown threatens to severely limit public access to America's national parks, putting tens of thousands of people and gateway towns in an economic chokehold. The National Park Service has announced plans to shutter the majority of national park sites, restricting access, locking gates and bolting bathrooms, if the government shuts down as expected on Sunday. The closure of these parks will have a significant impact on the local economies and visitors.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a vocal advocate of gun control measures and the longest-serving female senator, has died at the age of 87. She was a trailblazer in the Senate, shattering glass ceilings during her more than three decades in office and trying to find common ground with Republicans. Her death marks the end of an era in the Senate, and her legacy of advocacy and bipartisanship will be remembered for years to come.