In a dramatic turn of events, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a new stopgap spending bill on Friday, narrowly averting a government shutdown just hours before the deadline. The last-minute intervention of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prompted a scramble among lawmakers to devise a plan that would keep the federal government running.
The House approved the bill with a vote of 366-34, allowing funding to continue at current levels until mid-March. This extension provides lawmakers with additional time to negotiate new spending bills. Notably, all 34 votes against the bill came from Republican representatives.
Earlier in the week, the House had unveiled a comprehensive 1,500-page bill intended to maintain government funding until March 14. The proposed legislation included $100 billion in disaster relief and a one-year extension of the farm bill, along with an extra $10 billion in aid for farmers.
However, President-elect Trump opposed the bipartisan bill, advocating for “a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give the Democrats everything they want,” and urging the inclusion of terms to increase the debt ceiling.
In response, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders hastily crafted an alternative—a 116-page bill funding the government at current levels until March 14. This version included the $100 billion in disaster relief and $10 billion in economic aid to farmers but stripped away several policy provisions from the original deal. It also extended the nation’s debt limit through January 30, 2027, as requested by Trump.
The revised plan faced obstacles on Thursday when both Democrats and some conservative Republicans opposed it. Some conservatives were unwilling to raise the government’s borrowing limit, while Democrats resisted conceding to Trump’s last-minute debt ceiling demands.
Negotiations resumed, and just six hours before a potential federal government shutdown, bipartisan agreement was reached on a new short-term spending bill. The successful passage of this bill averts an immediate shutdown and extends government funding.
The U.S. Congress is typically required to pass appropriations bills for the new fiscal year before October 1. However, intense partisan disputes in recent years have often led to delays, necessitating the use of short-term spending bills to temporarily keep the federal government operational.
In late September, Congress passed a similar bill extending government funding from September 30 to December 20. The latest stopgap measure continues this pattern of temporary solutions amidst ongoing fiscal debates.
Reference(s):
U.S. House passes stopgap funding bill aimed at averting govt shutdown
cgtn.com
