US debt crisis: Congress passes deal
The US Congress has passed a bill to reopen the government and raise the federal debt limit, with hours to spare before the nation risked default.
The Democratic-controlled Senate’s bipartisan compromise won approval by 81 votes to 18.
The deal was then passed by 285-144 in the House of Representatives, whose Republican leadership begrudgingly agreed to support the measure.
It came hours before the deadline to raise the $16.7 trillion (£10.5 trillion) limit.
The bill yanked the US back from the brink of a budgetary abyss by extending the treasury’s borrowing authority until February 7.
It also funds the government to January 15, reopening closed federal agencies and bringing hundreds of thousands of furloughed employees back to work.
President Barack Obama signed the bill into law early on Thursday morning.
The idea that this marks a fight back by moderates against the radical right is, I think, wishful thinking by liberals”
The deal, however, offers only a temporary solution and does not resolve the budgetary issues that fiercely divide Republicans and Democrats.
Obama warned that US lawmakers must “earn back the trust of the American people”.
“We’ve got to get out of the habit of governing by crisis,” the Democratic president added, speaking after the Senate vote on Wednesday evening.—Bbc
