WASHINGTON, USA

Congress, in agreeing to an emergency spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, achieved a limited goal while postponing a fight over whether emergency disaster aid ought to be paid for with cuts elsewhere in the budget.

Democrats who spent weeks demanding additional disaster aid claimed victory even though the final deal — US$2.7 billion in disaster relief assistance in a one-week bill — provided less than what was approved by Republicans. The cost of the extra disaster assistance Democrats were pushing would have been offset by cuts in an energy-related programme they also favour.

“We rejected the idea that we should be forced to choose between American jobs and disaster relief,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said late Monday after the Senate voted 79-12 to keep the government running until mid-November.

The brinkmanship had pushed a bitterly divided and poll-battered Congress into another fight that threatened to shut down the government, a step certain to draw the wrath of a frustrated public. At issue was how to replenish Federal Emergency Management Agency coffers and assist Americans battered by Hurricane Irene, tornadoes and other natural disasters.

Republicans wanted to offset the money with cuts in Energy Department loan programmes for automobile manufacturers credited with creating jobs. Democrats balked at the notion. Armed with the administration’s fresh assurance that the disaster aid programme wouldn’t run out of money, Senate leaders jettisoned the disputed money and passed bare-bones legislation to avert a shutdown.

The House, on recess this week, appears likely to endorse that measure next week when it returns.

The lowest-common-denominator solution came after Republicans stymied efforts by Senate Democrats for a US$6.9 billion disaster aid package. House Republicans instead insisted on a US$3.7 billion measure — with US$1 billion of the most urgently needed money “paid for” with cuts to clean energy programmes important to Democrats.

After pushing for weeks for a higher disaster aid figure, Senate Democrats instead fought their last battle to make sure the energy programmes emerged uncut. But the casualty was US$1 billion in disaster relief supported by Republicans and Democrats alike.

The breakthrough of sorts came after the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated Monday it had enough money for disaster relief efforts through Friday. That disclosure allowed both sides to save face.

There was no immediate comment from House Republican leaders, although their approval for the measure seemed a mere formality after the party’s Senate leader agreed to it.

The disaster aid debate will be revisited when Congress passes a massive spending bill later this year. Under the terms of last month’s budget pact, up to US$11.3 billion in disaster aid could be added to the budget without having to be offset with spending cuts.

In the meantime, a one-week stopgap measure needed to avoid a government shutdown at midnight Friday appears likely to be adopted in a sparsely attended House session Thursday. The week-long measure would provide a US$2.7 billion infusion of disaster money that would make sure federal help continues to flow to victims of Hurricane Irene and other recent disasters.

AP