After House, Senate Approval, Obama Signs Fiscal Compromise Bill - East Idaho News
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After House, Senate Approval, Obama Signs Fiscal Compromise Bill

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100813 PresidentObama13?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1381971596845The White Hous(WASHINGTON) — After a 16-day government shutdown, the Senate and House have approved a bill that would re-open the government and extend the debt limit Wednesday night.

President Obama officially signed the bill early Thursday morning.

“There’s a lot of work ahead of us, including the need to earn back the trust of the American people that has been lost of the last few weeks,” Obama said in the White House briefing room just minutes after the Senate voted to approve the compromise legislation.

He added that he was hopeful Congress could complete work on immigration reform legislation, a farm bill and a larger budget deal before the end of the year.

“There’s no reason why we can’t work on these issues at hand, why we can’t disagree between the parties while still being agreeable and make sure we’re not inflicting harm on the American people,” Obama said.

The president did not take questions, but slipped a brief answer to one shouted at him by a reporter about whether the country would face another standoff over funding the government and raising the debt limit in a few months.

“No,” Obama said as he walked back into the West Wing.

The Senate Wednesday night approved a compromise proposal that would fund the government until Jan. 15 and extend the debt limit until Feb. 7.

Eighty-one senators voted in favor of the measure and 18, all Republican Senators, voted against it.

The House followed suit shortly afterward, voting 285 to 144 to approve the bill.

 

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