Shutdown avoided as Senate Dems concede

Issue of coalminers’ benefits threatened key spending legislation

With little time to spare WASHINGTON before the government was set to run out of money, Democratic senators agreed Friday night not to block a stopgap funding bill to keep the government open through April 28.

Federal agencies would have run out of money at midnight Friday if the Senate had been unable to move the spending bill.

House members quickly left town Thursday after their 326- 96 vote in favor of the legislation.

However, Senate leaders’ efforts to quickly pass the legislation were thwarted by Democratic senators from coalmining states, who objected to a provision that extends only through April a health care program for retired miners that was set to expire on Dec. 31.

Sens. Joe Manchin, D- W. Va., and others said the health care program should be extended at least one year to give retired miners and their families more certainty.

“We made commitments to them,” Manchin said.

Manchin said he was encouraged by promises from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Ky., to work with his fellow coal- state senators next year to extend the miners’ benefits beyond April. But Manchin said he doesn’t trust House leaders to support those efforts.

However, the Democratic senators dropped their demands when it became clear that Senate leaders were not going to change the bill. “We’re not going to shut down the government,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D- N. Y.