美国国会参议院批准一项为政府运作暂时提供资金的妥协案，避免了联邦政府在本财政年度星期五结束时出现关门的局面。民主党控制的参议院星期一晚间以79票赞成、12票反对的投票结果通过一项临时开支案，维持政府运转到11月18日。在此之前，议员们多日来一直在进行闭门磋商，以便打破两党目前在政府开支、赤字和税收问题上僵局。参议院还批准了另一项维持到10月4日的短期开支决议。这项议案必须获得共和党控制的众议院批准，以便让政府继续运转。
上星期，民主党控制的参议院否决了众议院通过的开支案。众议院的议案将临时开支维持政府运转到11月18日，但同时要求削减其它开支，来换取给联邦紧急事务处理署新增的经费。联邦紧急事务处理署星期一宣布，有足够资金维持到星期五的运作，因此打破了这个僵局。该机构官员此前曾说，资金只足以维持到本周前几天，从而可能影响为飓风和地震的受害者提供救灾援助。美国总统奥巴马星期一在加利福尼亚州的一个市民大会上说，国会的意识形态分歧正在阻碍美国政府解决自身的问题。他敦促国会采取负责任的行动。
The U.S. Senate has approved legislation that would temporarily fund government operations and avert a shutdown when the current fiscal year ends on Friday.In a bipartisan vote ((79-12)), the Democratic-controlled Senate late Monday approved a stopgap spending measure, known as a "continuing resolution," to keep the government operating through November 18. The approval came after days of behind-the-scenes talks to resolve an impasse over government spending, deficits and taxes.The Senate also approved a separate short-term continuing resolution to October 4. The bill must be passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives in order to avoid a shutdown.
The dispute began last week when the Democrat-led Senate rejected a House-passed spending bill that would have temporarily funded the government through November 18, but would have required spending cuts in exchange for a funding increase for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.The breakthrough came earlier Monday when FEMA announced it had sufficient funds to continue operations until Friday. FEMA officials had previously said that funds would run out earlier this week, threatening disaster relief aid for victims of hurricanes and earthquakes.President Barack Obama told a town hall meeting in ((the western state of)) California Monday that ideological differences in Congress are preventing the U.S. government from solving its problems. He urged Congress to act responsibly.
