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Government Shutdown Averted as House Prepares to Vote on Funding Package
Washington – The House of Representatives cleared a crucial procedural hurdle Tuesday, paving the way for a vote on a funding package to end the partial government shutdown. The chamber voted 217 to 215 to approve the rule governing debate over the measure, signaling a potential resolution to the standstill.
The legislation includes five full-year spending bills and a two-week extension of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, according to CBS News. While Republicans largely united in support, several dozen Democrats are expected to support final passage of the bill later Tuesday afternoon.
The resolution comes as tensions flared internationally and domestically. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signaled a potential willingness to negotiate with the United States, instructing his foreign minister to "pursue fair and equitable negotiations" provided a suitable environment exists, free from threats and unreasonable expectations, according to a social media post reported by CBS News. This decision followed requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the U.S. President's proposal for negotiations.
Meanwhile, a U.S.-flagged tanker, the Stena Imperative, was approached by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz, British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech reported Tuesday. The firm said three pairs of small armed boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps hailed the tanker by radio, ordering the captain "to stop the engines and prepare to be boarded." The ship increased speed and maintained course, never entering Iranian waters, the firm added.
In other news, Bill and Hillary Clinton agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky said in a statement that "once it became clear that we would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month." Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear for a deposition on Feb. 26, and former President Bill Clinton on Feb. 27. The Clintons had previously requested a public hearing, stating "we now believe that will best suit our concerns about fairness" in a letter to the committee.
Adding to the day's developments, William Stevenson, former first lady Jill Biden's ex-husband, was indicted on a murder charge connected to the death of his second wife, Linda Stevenson, in Delaware, police said Tuesday. New Castle County police responded to a reported domestic dispute in late December on the 1300 block of Idlewood Road in the Oak Hill neighborhood, near Elsmere. Linda Stevenson, 64, was found unresponsive in the living room and later pronounced dead.
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