Impasse Still Freezes Flood Relief Funds

Billions of dollars in flood relief for the Upper Plains remained bottled up Wednesday, held hostage largely to an impasse between the White House and congressional Republicans over a provision intended to prevent government shutdowns during budget battles.

House and Senate negotiators worked to narrow their differences and approve an emergency $8.4 billion spending bill before Congress leaves for a weeklong recess in the next few days.

But the anti-shutdown provision proved a major obstacle. It would provide automatic stopgap spending at this year’s levels if regular appropriations bills had not been approved when the next fiscal year starts on Oct. 1.

Republicans want the provision to spare them from the political black eye they suffered with the government shutdowns in 1995.