In a dramatic last-minute session on Saturday, the House of Representatives narrowly avoided a government shutdown by passing a short-term funding bill just hours before the deadline. The GOP-sponsored legislation, designed to secure bipartisan support, notably dropped demands for additional border security measures.
After a week of intense negotiations and challenges, House Republicans managed to forge a bipartisan path to extend government funding until November 17. This bill, which also includes provisions for disaster assistance, received a 335-91 vote, with 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans supporting the measure.
The Senate is now the next battleground for the bill, with a previously proposed bipartisan plan to keep the government operational experiencing delays. Senate Republicans have opted to wait and assess the House-approved legislation before taking further action.
Lawmakers were under immense pressure to meet the looming deadline, as the current funding for the government was set to expire Saturday night. Although the immediate effects of a shutdown might not have been felt until early next week, the urgency to find a resolution was palpable.
Initially, Democrats expressed reservations about the bill, citing a lack of time to thoroughly review its 71 pages. However, confronted with the political reality that their insistence on aid to Ukraine could be blamed for a shutdown, many Democrats ultimately rallied behind the legislation.
Notably, the decision to cut aid to Ukraine drew criticism, with opponents arguing that it could embolden Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Representative Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, highlighted concerns raised by Mike McCord, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for defense, regarding potential consequences for U.S. support to Ukraine.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy assured that there is still 45 days’ worth of Ukraine aid in the pipeline, leaving room for potential attachment to future bills. However, the specifics of such an attachment, including the amount and the legislative vehicle, remain uncertain.
