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House Democrats Unveil Bill to Avert Government Shutdown, Lacks Farm Aid

TikTok Staves Off Ban After Trump Gives Nod to Partnership Deal

President Donald Trump approved a partnership deal in principle that would allow TikTok to operate in the United States, even though it appeared to conflict with his initial order for China’s ByteDance to divest the video app. “I have given the deal my blessing,” Trump told White House reporters on Sept. 20 before departing for a campaign rally in North Carolina. “I approved the deal in concept.” Under the agreement, ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, will create a new company headquartered in the United States to operate the popular video sharing app, with the promise of bringing 25,000 job opportunities. The new company is planning a U.S. initial public offering within a year. “Conceptually, I think it’s a great deal for America,” Trump said, adding that the new structure will…

House Democrats Unveil Bill to Avert Government Shutdown, Lacks Farm Aid

House Democrats on Monday introduced a bill to keep the federal government funded until Dec. 11, although it’s not clear if the White House or congressional Republicans will take it up, raising the prospect of a federal shutdown by the end of September.

The continuing resolution (CR) bill (pdf) extends current levels of spending past the Sept. 30 deadline until Dec. 11. However, it does not include $30 billion for farm aid that the White House sought, officials said.

“We do prefer additional farm aid in the CR. Most of all we want a clean CR, keep the government open,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters on Monday, suggesting that the White House may still accept the bill in its current form without farm aid. It’s not clear if the Senate, which is controlled by the GOP, would support the measure.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were attempting to make a compromise on the farm bailout money, but the talks broke down on Sept. 18, according to reports. Much of the congressional attention is focused on a Supreme Court vacancy that was left after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Sept. 18.

The short-term spending bill introduced by the Democratic-controlled House also doesn’t include any new COVID-19 provisions. Negotiations around the next stimulus package stalled more than a month ago, despite pressure from President Donald Trump on Republicans and a bill that was introduced by moderate Democrats and Republicans to revive the talks.

Pelosi and Mnuchin, in public statements, agreed earlier in September to keep talks on the virus package separate from the continuing resolution to fund the government.

House Democrats Unveil Bill to Avert Government Shutdown, Lacks Farm Aid House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks during a press conference before the vote on the ‘Delivering for America Act’ to protect the postal system on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 22, 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Pelosi also dismissed the idea of using government funding as leverage in the Supreme Court fight.

“None of us has any interest in shutting down government. That has such a harmful and painful impact on so many people in our country. So I would hope that we can just proceed with that. There is some enthusiasm among some exuberance on the left to say let’s use that, but we’re not going to be shutting down government,” Pelosi told “This Week” on Sunday.

But in the same interview, Pelosi said that all options are on the table to block Trump’s Supreme Court pick from being confirmed before the November elections.

“We have our options, we have arrows in our quiver that I’m not about to discuss right now,” she said. “But the fact is, we have a big challenge in our country.”

Asked if Democrats won’t “rule anything out,” Pelosi said that lawmakers have responsibilities. She was also asked by the ABC interviewer about whether she would support another impeachment.

“We have a responsibility, we take an oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. We have a responsibility to meet the needs of the American people. When we weigh the equities of protecting our democracy, requires us to use every arrow in our quiver,” Pelosi responded, without elaborating or providing a plan.

Focus News: House Democrats Unveil Bill to Avert Government Shutdown, Lacks Farm Aid

TikTok Staves Off Ban After Trump Gives Nod to Partnership Deal

President Donald Trump approved a partnership deal in principle that would allow TikTok to operate in the United States, even though it appeared to conflict with his initial order for China’s ByteDance to divest the video app. “I have given the deal my blessing,” Trump told White House reporters on Sept. 20 before departing for a campaign rally in North Carolina. “I approved the deal in concept.” Under the agreement, ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, will create a new company headquartered in the United States to operate the popular video sharing app, with the promise of bringing 25,000 job opportunities. The new company is planning a U.S. initial public offering within a year. “Conceptually, I think it’s a great deal for America,” Trump said, adding that the new structure will…