Continuing Resolution
On March 5, the House approved, 328-50, H.J. Res. 38, a short-term continuing resolution to fund the federal government through March 11, 2009; the Senate approved, by voice vote, the resolution later the same day. The previous continuing resolution (P.L. 110-329) expired on March 5, 2009 (see The Source, 9/26/08).
FY2009 Omnibus
On March 2, the Senate began debating H.R. 1105, an omnibus bill that consolidates the nine remaining FY2009 spending bills, after defeating, 32-63, a substitute amendment by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that would have stripped the language of the bill and replaced it with a continuing resolution to fund programs until the end of the current fiscal year. The FY2009 Defense; Homeland Security; and Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bills were approved as part of P.L. 110-329. The House approved H.R. 1105 on February 25 (see The Source, 2/27/09).
During debate on the measure, the Senate rejected, 39-55, an amendment by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) to prohibit any funds appropriated to the United Nations Population Fund from being used for any program in the People’s Republic of China, or for any program that supports coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.
