Democrats unveil stopgap spending bill to keep government running until mid-November

Source: Associated Press

Congressional Democrats unveiled legislation Tuesday to keep the government running until mid-November, giving them more time to bridge gaping differences with President Bush over the budget.

The stopgap legislation is needed as the Oct. 1 start of the fiscal year looms with none of the 12 annual spending bills, which fund government agencies and departments, passed into law.

At the same time, the bill temporarily extends health coverage for children from low-income families as Congress and Bush wrangle over how much to expand the program, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP.

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The measure also provides $5.2 billion to provide additional heavy armored vehicles that offer better protection to troops in Iraq from roadside bombs.


The measure also provides additional resources for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that lawmakers believe will provide enough to maintain the accelerated tempo in Iraq until Congress and Bush sort out his huge request for the war.



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