House, Senate Avoid Default With Funding Deal
Congress votes to reopen government, raise the debt ceiling
By Chris Casteel
WASHINGTON — Congress voted Wednesday to reopen the federal government and raise the nation’s debt ceiling, ending a bruising partisan battle that drew public scorn and raised serious doubts about whether the divided government here can function.
The Senate voted 81 to 18 for the short-term deal, and the House approved it by a vote of 285 to 144. The approval came just hours before the U.S. Treasury Department was expected to fall short of funds to pay the nation’s bills.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, opposed the bill; Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, is recovering from heart surgery and missed the vote. In the House, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, voted for the bill; Reps. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City; Jim Bridenstine, R-Tulsa; Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne; and Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, opposed it.
At the White House, President Barack Obama said he would sign the bill immediately and “begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty from our businesses and the American people.”
Under the bipartisan agreement forged by Senate leaders, furloughed workers will be paid for the time missed during the 16-day partial shutdown; most are expected to return to their jobs in the next few days.