The Home handed a invoice Thursday that funds the federal government by February 18 and avoids a short-term shutdown after midnight Friday, however fast Senate approval was unsure due to a battle over President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
An settlement amongst congressional leaders introduced earlier within the day would maintain the federal government operating for 11 extra weeks, usually at present spending ranges whereas including $7 billion to help Afghanistan evacuees.
The Democratic-led Home handed the measure by a 221-212 vote. The Republican management urged members to vote no; the lone GOP vote for the invoice got here from Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger.
Lawmakers bemoaned the short-term repair and blamed the opposing get together for the dearth of progress on this yr’s spending payments. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, chair of the Home Appropriations Committee, mentioned the measure would, nevertheless, permit for negotiations on a package deal overlaying the rest of the price range yr by September.
“Make no mistake, a vote in opposition to this persevering with decision is a vote to close authorities down,” DeLauro mentioned throughout the Home debate.
Earlier than the Home acted, Biden mentioned he had spoken with Senate leaders and he performed down fears of a shutdown.
“There’s a plan in place except any person decides to be completely erratic, and I do not assume that can occur,” Biden mentioned.
Conservative Republicans against Biden’s vaccine guidelines need Congress to take a tough stand in opposition to the mandated pictures for employees at bigger companies, even when which means shutting down federal places of work over the weekend.
It was simply the most recent occasion of the brinkmanship round authorities funding that has triggered a number of pricey shutdowns and partial closures over the previous 20 years. The longest shutdown in historical past occurred below President Donald Trump — 35 days stretching into January 2019, when Democrats refused to approve cash for his U.S-Mexico border wall. Each events agree the stoppages are irresponsible, but few deadlines move with no late scramble to keep away from them.
Democrats have been in a position to make use of their majority to advance the spending invoice. They’ve a harder process within the 50-50 Senate, the place objections by only one senator can sluggish a closing vote previous Friday’s midnight deadline. That might imply a short-term shutdown into the weekend.
