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US Senate rejects two proposals to reopen govt (Lead)
Washington, Jan 25 (IANS) The US Senate on Thursday rejected two proposals, one of them by Republicans and the other by Democrats, to fully reopen the federal government, which has been partially shut down since December 22 as a result of lawmakers’ failure to agree on a budget that meets the requirements of President Donald Trump.
Neither bill received the required 60 votes needed to pass in the Senate, where the Republicans hold a majority, Efe reported.
The first bill to be voted on had been announced on Saturday by Trump, who suggested temporarily reinstating two immigration programs that he had previously cancelled — the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — in exchange for $5.7 billion in funding to begin building his much-touted and highly controversial US-Mexico border wall.
This proposal received the support of 50 senators.
Meanwhile, the second initiative prepared by Democratic lawmakers, which received the support of 52 senators, would have reopened most of the currently shut-down federal government agencies and departments through February 8 but did not provide any funding for Trump’s wall, which the Democrats believe runs counter to American values, not to mention being financially wasteful and impractical.
After the votes, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, were meeting Thursday afternoon to see if they could agree on how to break the congressional logjam.
The partial shutdown of the US government, now in its 34th day, is the longest in history and has resulted in several departments and agencies halting their operations due to lack of funding.
Some 800,000 federal workers have received no paychecks for more than a month, although somewhat over half of them are being required to continue working without pay since they are deemed to be “essential” employees.
On Wednesday, Trump had announced that he was postponing his annual State of the Union address until the federal government was fully reopened.
“I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over,” said Trump in one of a pair of Thursday morning Twitter posts, adding that he was not seeking another venue for the speech because “there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber,” and concluding by saying “I look forward to giving a ‘great’ State of the Union Address in the near future!”
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.