CBS News
House plans to vote on short-term funding extension to avert government shutdown
Washington — The House plans to vote Thursday on a temporary government funding patch as lawmakers bump up against another deadline to avert a partial shutdown.
The short-term extension would fund some government agencies for another week, through March 8, and the remaining agencies until March 22.
Congressional leaders announced the deal Wednesday evening, saying they “are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government.”
The agreement tees up a vote on six of the 12 annual spending bills before the end of next week. The leaders said the one-week extension was necessary to allow the appropriations committees “adequate time to execute on this deal in principle” and give lawmakers time to review the package’s text.
Lawmakers would then have two more weeks to pass the other six spending bills to fully fund the government until September.
The government has repeatedly been on the brink of a shutdown since the end of last September. Unable to pass the annual appropriations bills before the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, Congress has relied on short-term extensions, known as continuing resolutions, to keep the government operating.
If Congress does not approve the latest extension before Saturday, funding for transportation, housing, agriculture and veterans programs will run out. Funding for other agencies, including the Pentagon, lapses on March 8.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, proposed the latest plan after an “intense” meeting at the White House on Tuesday with the president, vice president and other congressional leaders. Lawmakers left the meeting optimistic about averting a shutdown before the deadline at the end of this week.
The new deadlines raise the pressure on the House to pass spending legislation amid Republican divisions. Negotiations over spending have been prolonged by House conservatives demanding steep cuts and policy changes while refusing to support any bipartisan legislation.
Johnson, overseeing a narrow House majority, has therefore had to rely on Democrats to pass the continuing resolutions that have funded the government in recent months.
House Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good, a Virginia Republican, appeared disappointed in the deal, telling reporters Wednesday night that he hopes Johnson does not bring it up for a vote if a majority of Republicans do not support it.
“It seems right now what we’re doing is we’re doing what the Democrats want to do so that it will pass the Senate and be signed by the White House.
“It seems right now what we’re doing is, we’re doing what the Democrats want to do, so that it will pass the Senate and be signed by the White House,” Good said, noting that he would not vote for it.
The White House said Wednesday it was on board with the new tranche of funding, saying it “would help prevent a needless shutdown while providing more time to work on bipartisan appropriations bills and for the House to pass the bipartisan national security supplemental as quickly as possible.”
Jaala Brown contributed reporting.
CBS News
Frontier flight catches fire while landing at Las Vegas airport
A Frontier flight appeared to catch fire as the plane was landing Saturday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cell phone video showed flames and billows of smoke on the plane’s undercarriage as it touched down on the runway. Fire trucks and other emergency service vehicles rushed onto the runway, as smoke continued to surround the plane.
“Frontier flight 1326 experienced a hard landing,” a spokesperson for the airport confirmed to CBS News. “The Clark County Fire Department responded immediately and all passengers and crew have been safely transported to the gated area. No injuries were reported.”
Frontier Flight 1326 left San Diego at 1:51 p.m. Pacific Time and landed at Las Vegas at 3:37 p.m., according to Flight Aware.
“The pilots detected smoke and declared an emergency,” a spokesperson for Frontier Airlines confirmed to CBS News. “The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew were evacuated via airstairs. No injuries were reported, and passengers have been bussed to the terminal. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.”
CBS News
A look at the increased security at Trump’s Butler rally
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$100 million in federal funds released for North Carolina to rebuild roads, bridges damaged by Helene
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation released $100 million in emergency funds on Saturday for North Carolina to rebuild its roads and bridges damaged by Helene.
“We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration will be with North Carolina every step of the way, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources.”
The storm caused rampant flooding that has devastated several towns and killed more than 225 people – with CBS News confirming at least 114 people killed in North Carolina. There was more than 8 inches of rain across the western North Carolina mountains, with some areas seeing more than a foot.
Hundreds of roads across Western North Carolina remain closed, leading to an increase in air traffic as teams scour the region for survivors by air. Air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared, the Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Mudslides blocked Interstate 40 and other highways in North Carolina and about 400 roads were closed due to damage from Helene. Interstate 40 was damaged at several locations, the Department of Transportation said.
President Biden visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying the flood damage by air from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Biden announced the federal government would cover “100%” of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months.
The Department of Transportation said these relief funds will allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to their damaged facilities.
Li Cohen and
contributed to this report.