US House votes to avert shutdown as deadline looms
November 20, 2019, 11:04 am

US House votes to avert shutdown as deadline looms

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gavels the close of a vote on a resolution formalizing the impeachment inquiry centered on President Trump October 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (AFP)

US lawmakers moved to prevent a crippling government shutdown on Tuesday as the House of Representatives passed a short-term spending bill that funds federal operations until December 20.

The Senate is expected to clear the measure later this week and send it to the White House before agencies run out of funding at midnight on Thursday.

The administration has signaled that President Donald Trump will sign the so-called continuing resolution.

Congress has been unable to secure a long-term deal.

Democrats and Republicans have negotiated for months, but they remain at odds over funding of Trump’s long-sought wall on the US border with Mexico, among other issues.

With Washington consumed by the Trump impeachment inquiry, lawmakers have expressed concern about the ability to finalize a deal in the run up to the Christmas break.

The measure gives the US military a 3.1 percent pay raise, funds the 2020 census, and keeps critical public health programs going for another month.

“While short term measures are never ideal, this extension of funding is necessary to ensure that the House and Senate can continue to negotiate and reach agreement on full year appropriations for fiscal year 2020,” House Republican Tom Cole told colleagues.

The bill passed 231 to 192, with 12 Republicans supporting it in the Democratic-controlled House.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said he expected a vote in coming days, saying that “failing to secure funding for the federal government before the end of the year is not an option.”

Two government shutdowns have occurred during Trump’s administration, including a 35-day shutdown from late 2018 to early 2019 - the longest in US history - over disagreements on border security.

source:AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”