House leaders rushed the CR to the floor on Thursday to escape severe weather.
The House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve a short-term government funding extension. The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk, where he must sign it by the end of the day on Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.
It passed 314 to 108, nearly splitting the House GOP in half: 107 Republicans voted for it, while 106 opposed.
House leaders hastened to place the bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), on the floor Thursday afternoon, shortly after the Senate passed it 77-18.
It was brought to a vote under a suspension of the rules, which means it skips a procedural vote but requires two-thirds of House MPs’ support for ultimate passage, rather than just a simple majority.
Related Posts
The decision was reached amid substantial dissatisfaction among Speaker Mike Johnson’s right flank with the adoption of another CR. Johnson, R-La., had previously promised to be “done” with CRs after adopting one in November, but congressional leaders have decided that it is necessary to allow Congress more time to work out a budget agreement for Fiscal Year 2024.
Hours before the vote, House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., visited with Johnson to convince him to include a border security amendment in the CR.
Johnson was said to be “considering it,” stating, “The Senate will be forced to consider, are they willing to fund the government and secure the border, or they refuse to fund the government because they don’t want to secure the border.”
But Johnson quickly put the rumors to rest. His spokesman, Raj Shah, wrote on X minutes after Good talked to reporters, “The strategy has not altered. The House is voting tonight on a stopgap plan to keep the government operating.
The proposed CR would keep Johnson’s “laddered” approach intact, extending the two distinct funding deadlines from Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 to March 1 and March 8, respectively.
Johnson previously stated that it is intended to prevent Congress from approving an all-encompassing “omnibus” spending measure, which Republicans in the House and Senate oppose.
Good and other conservative House Freedom Caucus members criticized the CR earlier this week but conceded there was nothing they could do to prevent it from passing, given its support from House Democrats and a sizable proportion of House Republicans.
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital that he was “an optimist” but admitted that conservatives had little chance of stopping the CR from passing.
“I suppose if he suspends it, a lot of Democrats will vote for it; perhaps that is a valid remark. But it is not something I intend to vote for,” he remarked.
