WASHINGTON – House lawmakers voted late Wednesday to approve a short-term spending bill that would avert a partial government shutdown on Friday and give Congress another week to finalize a spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year. they gave
The continuing vote resolution has been sent to the Senate, which could take up legislation as early as Thursday.
The House and Senate have until 11:59 p.m. Friday to reach an agreement on future spending.
The stopgap measure passed the Democratic-controlled House 224-201.
Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) Chris Jacobs (RN) . .Y.), John Katko (RN.Y.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Steve Womack (R-Ark.) were the nine Republicans who voted with Democrats in favor of the continuing resolution, defying GOP leadership. .
Of those nine, only Womack and Fitzpatrick will serve in the next Congress.
Six representatives, three Republicans and three Democrats, abstained.
The House vote came almost exactly after the resignation of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who declared that Republicans and Democrats had reached “a bipartisan, bicameral foundation.” It happened exactly. It is passed by the Senate and signed by the President.
“If all goes well, we should finish the omnibus funding package by Dec. 23,” said lead negotiator Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama.
However, details of the plan have not yet been finalized or made public.
The nearly $1.7 trillion omnibus package includes the $858 billion Pentagon budget that Republicans and Democrats reached a consensus on last week. Most framework disputes involve spending on in-house software.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday he supports reaching a deal on a full-year funding bill before Christmas, but said Republicans would not hesitate to delay a vote until the new year if Democrats disagree. he added. cut domestic costs.
While Senate GOP and Democratic leaders have said approval of the spending plan by Sept. 30, 2023, would be the best outcome, House Republicans held a press conference Wednesday to denounce attempts at an omnibus vote before the new year. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.) said Congress should pass a short extension to honor the will of voters who put Republicans in charge of the House in 2023.
“A month ago, the American people voted for a new direction in Washington,” he said. “There are 20 days left for new members to be sworn in [and] We have two leading members of the Senate who will no longer be here [in the new Congress] or may be held accountable before the voters”.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) criticized McConnell in a Twitter post Wednesday for advocating for a bipartisan deal before the new Congress takes over.
“Republican voters fought hard to take back control of the House of Representatives to remove insane spending controls from Democrats,” he said. “Mitch McConnell is on the verge of usurping his House Republicans by making a dirty deal with the Dems to pass the Dem Omnibus bill next year!”
Some Senate Republicans, such as Florida’s Rick Scott, are joining their House counterparts in urging Congress to pass another short-term resolution that would keep the government funded next month instead of next week.
“When the new Congress convenes in January, Senate Republicans and a new House Republican majority can begin the important work of creating a real, balanced budget,” Scott said in a statement Tuesday. “Since we cannot produce a balanced budget in the next few days, the next best thing is a CR that rejects any new reckless spending.”
“It’s time for Democrats to stop caring and stand up for what the American people want in Washington: less government, less spending and more accountability,” he added.
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