Washington, D.C. – The Senate voted on Thursday to approve a bill aimed at preventing a partial government shutdown and ensuring the continuous flow of federal funds until March 1st and March 8th. The bill, which received a 77-18 vote, will now move to the Republican-controlled House. The House aims to pass the bill later on Thursday and send it to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature before funding expires at midnight on Friday.
To expedite the process, the bill will be brought up on “suspension,” which allows for fast-tracking but requires a two-thirds majority to pass. This bill marks the third stopgap measure since last September as the divided Congress continues to struggle with reaching an agreement on full-year government funding bills.
A recent agreement between Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on spending for the new year has raised hopes of completing the funding process by the newly set early March deadlines. However, there is no guarantee of success, as some right-wing House Republicans have rebelled against the deal.
The passage of the first stopgap bill led to the removal of Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as Speaker, and his successor, Johnson, is determined to avoid a similar fate by touting the conservative victories in the latest deal. Schumer criticized the “loud contingent of hard-right rabble-rousers” who believe a government shutdown is beneficial, accusing them of aiming to bully and intimidate Congress.
Meanwhile, the House announced the cancellation of Friday’s votes in anticipation of a winter storm and scheduled the completion of votes on the stopgap bill for Thursday.
The bill extends the two-part government funding deadlines from January 19th to March 1st and from February 2nd to March 8th. It is separate from ongoing negotiations surrounding an immigration and national security supplemental bill providing aid to Ukraine and Israel. The primary purpose of the bill is to grant appropriators additional time to draft the 12 appropriations bills that will fully fund the government based on the newly agreed-upon spending levels.
Johnson expressed optimism that Congress can pass all 12 measures, highlighting the need for a little more time on the calendar to allow the process to unfold. He emphasized that an omnibus bill, the massive last-minute spending bills often relied on by Congress, would not be the approach taken, as it is not an effective way to govern.
In conclusion, with the Senate passing the bill, the focus now turns to the House and its efforts to ensure continued federal funding, while the deadline for funding expiration looms. The ongoing negotiations and tensions within the divided Congress highlight the challenges that lie ahead in reaching a consensus on long-term government funding bills.