House Passes Stopgap Bill to Fund Government Through December, Punting Shutdown Fight Past Midterms
Measure clears narrowly, 220-205, as lawmakers scramble to avert a lapse before the Sept. 30 deadline
The House voted Tuesday to fund federal agencies at current levels through Dec. 4, averting a potential government shutdown when the fiscal year ends Sept. 30 but setting up a bigger budget confrontation later this year.
Lawmakers passed the continuing resolution 220-205, according to The Hill, CBS News and NPR. Six Democrats crossed over to support the measure, while Rep. Kevin Kiley, a California independent aligned with Republicans, was the only member of the majority to vote no, The Hill reported.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where NPR said its prospects remain uncertain. A shutdown would be the third since last September if lawmakers fail to reach a deal by the new deadline.
Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans acted to avoid disruption before the midterm elections and warned Democrats could still force a shutdown later this year, according to Fox News and the Washington Examiner. Most Democrats opposed the bill, and The New York Times said the vote sets the stage for a broader spending battle in the coming months.
By pushing the funding deadline into December, Republicans effectively moved the fight past the November midterms, giving both parties additional months to negotiate full-year appropriations before funding lapses again become possible.
— Compiled from reporting by The Hill, CBS News, NPR, Fox News, the Washington Examiner and The New York Times.