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Budget talks

Senate OKs measure to reopen government

House prospects doubtful

January 2, 1996
Web posted at: 6 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate approved a measure Tuesday to re-open the federal government until January 12. The bill, which aims to end an 18-day partial shutdown that has furloughed 260,000 federal employees, has been sent to the House.

It was unclear whether the House would accept the measure. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole said he hoped the House would consider the continuing resolution Wednesday. The Senate unanimously passed the measure by voice vote.

Bob Dole

Dole, a Kansas Republican and front-runner for the party's nomination to face Clinton in November's presidential election, said it was time to end the government shutdown.   The measure is expected to face bitter resistance in the House. Earlier on Tuesday, House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he didn't think House Republicans would vote to re-open government without a balanced budget agreement.

House Republicans have been opposed to any proposal to re-open government until a seven-year balanced-budget agreement is signed. They insist that financing government departments that have run out of funds must be linked to a concrete agreement on balancing the budget by 2002.

Temporary spending measures are needed because the Republican-led Congress has failed to approve 1996 funds for some agencies, and Clinton has vetoed other bills he said would be detrimental to the environment and impair law enforcement. 

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AP contributed to this report.



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