US Congress passes stopgap funding until Dec. 8

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) The US Senate has approved a stopgap measure to keep the federal government running through December 8, sending the bill to President George W Bush to sign into law.

The Senate's unanimous vote, coming a few hours after the U.S. House of Representatives passed identical language, gives Congress more time to pass a series of regular spending bills for the fiscal year that began on October 1.

The legislation also ensured that a wide range of government offices and programs will keep running beyond tomorrow, when the current stopgap spending bill expires.

Congress, which adjourned in October to give members more time to campaign for re-election, had left most of the work on spending bills unfinished.

Many of the spending issues for fiscal 2007 proved contentious because of demands for more domestic spending at a time when conservatives were upset over large budget deficits.

Senate leaders also failed to schedule time for floor debate on the various bills.

Approval of the temporary spending bill came a little more than a week after Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in elections that largely showcased voters' anger over the Iraq war and ethics lapses but also punished Congress for its failure to manage fiscal affairs.

The new, Democrat-controlled Congress takes office in January.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, a California Republican, said he was ''strongly committed'' to reaching compromises with the Senate on the remaining bills this year. All but one funding bill, a major health, education and labor measure, have passed the House.

But with little time remaining in a post-election session and with the Senate still struggling to pass most of its versions of the funds, the outlook was uncertain.

So far, of the 11 regular spending bills, only funds for the Pentagon and domestic security programs have been enacted.

FEW OPTIONS On Tuesday, the Senate passed funding to build military bases and provide veterans benefits. It hopes to soon approve money for farm subsidies and nutrition programs such as school lunches.

Rep. David Obey, the Wisconsin Democrat who will head the House Appropriations Committee next year, said it would be ''sad indeed if we were to adjourn this Congress with local units of government, local school boards ... not having any idea what the final resolution of these bills will be.'' Congress has a few options for dealing with government funding in the waning days of this session.

Next month, it could opt to pass another stopgap funding bill, one that could stretch to February or March. At the same time, it could try to finish as many of the regular funding bills as possible.

For those not approved, Congress could pass an ''omnibus'' spending bill that many lawmakers fear would become a magnet for millions or billions of dollars in extraneous special-interest projects, the kind that got the Republican-controlled Congress in trouble with voters.

''There is a tendency for remaining bills to become Christmas trees and for spending to grow out of control,'' Lewis warned.

Among the remaining regular spending bills are a huge health, education and labor measure that got bogged down over a minimum wage increase, an environmental funding bill and money for foreign aid and law enforcement programs.

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