House Speaker Mike Johnson was helped by Democrats to pass a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown before a Friday deadline. The House voted 320-99 along party lines to approve the short-term continuing resolution, pushing the funding deadlines back slightly to March 8 and March 22. Johnson hoped that an additional week could give Congress time to pass all remaining appropriations bills to fully fund the government through the end of FY2024.
The measure, brought up under “suspension of the rules,” required a two-third majority vote to pass; only two Democrats opposed the vote, along with 97 Republicans who voted against it. The vote marks the fourth time House GOP leaders have put a continuing resolution on the floor since September.
The funding bill will head to the Senate, where it is expected to pass before Friday night’s funding deadline. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: “I hope the Senate can pass the short-term CR as soon as tonight but that will require all of us working together. There’s certainly no reason this should take a very long time. So, let’s cooperate and get it done quickly … As I said directly to the speaker over and over and over again, the only way to get things done here is with bipartisanship. And this agreement is another proof point. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen even in divided government. And I hope this sets the stage for Congress to finish the appropriations process in a bipartisan way, very soon.”
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