The House of Representatives approves a $1.2 trillion budget proposal just hours before the deadline for a government shutdown, passing it on to the Senate.
Senators are becoming increasingly doubtful about the possibility of passing a large spending agreement to cover government expenses until September before a deadline tonight in order to avoid a partial shutdown.
largely carried along party lines
The package worth $1.2 trillion was passed by the House with mostly partisan support.unveiled
On Friday morning, the bill was approved by a vote of 286 to 134 and then delivered to the Senate in time for their review.
will be considered separately.
The bundled legislation combines six appropriations bills to provide funding for approximately 75% of the government until the conclusion of the fiscal year. Included in the bill are allocations for the following: State, Homeland Security, Defense, Labor and Health and Human Services, as well as foreign operations, financial services, and the legislative branch. The remaining portion of government funding will be addressed in a separate package.cleared Congress two weeks ago.
The Republicans were criticized for delaying and it was mentioned that it seems like a shutdown is imminent.
The Democratic representative from Rhode Island pointed out that in the unlikely event of any amendments being approved, the revised package would need to be sent back to the House for their approval. Members of the House have already departed Washington for a two-week break.
It seems that we are on track for a brief shutdown as the vote is planned for Sunday, stated Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a Republican, on Friday evening.
Government operations are not likely to be affected if funding is not interrupted, as long as the Senate is able to pass the bill to the president by Monday.
When President Biden signed the first funding package
Just a few hours after facing another shutdown deadline earlier in the month, the Office of Management and Budget announced that government agencies would not be closing and could continue functioning as usual. This decision was made based on the belief that a solution would be reached soon.
By passing this, Congress can divert attention to other important matters such as the upcoming budget allocation, which must be finalized and approved by October, and providing assistance to our international allies, which has been delayed for several months.
The deal made between House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is a Republican from Louisiana, and the Democratic leaders in the Senate to provide funding for the government also jeopardizes his leadership status, as a majority of his party voted against the legislation.
The chaotic scramble to finance the government was a recent display of conflicting factions among the dwindling Republican majority in the House. This has led party leaders to depend on Democratic support to pass legislation, much to the chagrin of conservatives. House Democrats approved the bill on Friday with 185 in favor and 22 against, while Republicans were split with 101 in favor and 112 against.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, teased a possible no-confidence vote in Johnson,
submitting a request to cancel
The House may be required to address this issue after their two-week break. This action is similar to the tactic used by a small group of Republicans to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker in October due to disagreement within the party regarding budget management.
“I submitted the motion to nullify today, but it serves as more of a caution,” Greene stated following the vote in the House, emphasizing that “it is now up to our party to select a fresh leader.”
The spending deal
Tom Williams, photographer for CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images.
Lawmakers have been utilizing temporary funding extensions to maintain the operation of the federal government since October due to their inability to pass the twelve yearly spending bills.
The deadlock was resolved this month with the division of the payments into two bundles. However, the launch of the second bundle was postponed until early Thursday due to disagreements over financing for the Department of Homeland Security.
Johnson decided to disregard the self-imposed 72-hour rule, which allows legislators time to review a proposed law before voting, in order to expedite the process and pass it on to the Senate. This left only a few hours for the Senate to consider the legislation before midnight.
Both Republicans and Democrats declared success from the package.
The Democrats emphasized the importance of providing funds for child care and education initiatives, medical research, and mental health care. They also proposed extending the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (known as PEPFAR), which is recognized for saving 25 million lives globally.
GOP lawmakers emphasized the allocation of resources for Border Patrol agents and increased beds for detention.a ban on funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the main humanitarian agency operating in Gaza, through March 2025.
The legislation also boasts a number of conservative victories. It prohibits the federal government from prohibiting gas stoves, imposes limitations on which flags are allowed to be flown over U.S. diplomatic facilities, and upholds the rule that federal funds cannot be used for abortion services.
Johnson responded to backlash from conservatives by stating that the bill is the best possible outcome in a government that is divided.
Tennessee’s Republican Representative, Andy Ogles, warned that the approval of the bill could endanger the GOP’s majority.
According to Ogles, there is a belief that the Republicans hold the majority in the House. However, it is evident that the Democrats are the ones in possession of the speaker’s gavel. Ogles emphasizes that the outcome of this bill will likely decide which party has control over the House of Representatives, as well as who will become the next speaker.
Alan He and Ellis Kim were responsible for the reporting in this piece.
Caitlin Yilek
Source: cbsnews.com