美国会通过临时拨款法案避免政府关门 US Congress Passes Spending Bill to Avoid Potential Shutdown

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美国国会星期三通过了一项拨款法案,使政府可以再维持运作几个月,同时为应对寨卡病毒提供11亿美元的拨款。

众议院以342对85票,参议院以72对26票通过了这个法案。

若不延长预算,很多政府机构到星期五午夜联邦财政年度结束时将没有任何资金。新的拨款法案的有效期一直持续到12月9日。

国会高层领袖解决了围绕向密西根州弗林特提供援助,以帮助该市解决水污染问题而存在的僵局之后,拨款法案出现了突破。支持援助弗林特的民主党人对共和党人保证在11月的大选后落实給弗林特的拨款表示满意。

这个法案还包括向路易斯安那和其它州提供5亿美元的水灾救济。

参众两院的民主党人曾誓言反对拨款法案,直到共和党人接受弗林特市的援助计划。该市有10万多人喝了两年多遭铅污染的自来水。

这一妥协化解了在寨卡病毒拨款问题上一场令人沮丧的持久战。民主党人在弗林特问题上取得了部分胜利,共和党人控制的路易斯安那州国会代表团则赢得了奥巴马请求国会給该州26亿美元拨款的首付。

The U.S. Congress passed a spending bill Wednesday that will keep the government operating for another few months and provide $1.1 billion for efforts to combat the Zika virus.

The measure passed by a margin of 342-85 in the House and 72-26 in the Senate.

Without the extension, many government agencies would have run out of money when the federal fiscal year ends at midnight Friday. The new spending bill runs through December 9.

The breakthrough came after top congressional leaders resolved a stalemate over aid to Flint, Michigan, to help the city address its water crisis. Democratic advocates for Flint are now satisfied with Republican assurances that money for Flint will be finalized after the country's November elections.

The bill also includes $500 million for flood relief in Louisiana and other states.

Democrats in the Senate and House had vowed to oppose the bill until Republicans agreed to an aid package for Flint, a city of more than 100,000 people that has had lead-tainted drinking water for more than two years.

The deal defuses a lengthy, frustrating battle over Zika spending. Democrats claimed a partial victory on Flint while the GOP-dominated Louisiana delegation won a downpayment on Obama's $2.6 billion request for their state.