The House of Representatives passed legislation to keep the government funded until Dec. 16, sending the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk hours before an Oct. 1 deadline.
The continuing resolution cleared the lower chamber 230-201 in a largely party-line vote on Friday, the House’s last legislative day before lawmakers head home for October to campaign in the midterm elections. The Senate comfortably passed the bill on Thursday.
Congress will need to revisit government funding again in the lame duck session after the Nov. 8 elections.
MANCHIN AND SCHUMER DROP PERMITTING REFORM, CLEARING WAY FOR STOPGAP SPENDING BILL
Energy permitting reforms backed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) had threatened to derail the stopgap spending bill after garnering bipartisan opposition, but Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) dropped it from the legislation Tuesday.
Though Republicans typically support measures that bolster domestic energy production, they saw it as a concession from Schumer to Manchin that bought his crucial vote on the Biden-backed Inflation Reduction Act. Progressives opposed it over environmental concerns.
In the House, the conservative Freedom Caucus exerted pressure on GOP leadership to oppose the stopgap measure since it would only last until mid-December. They argued that, should Republicans take the majority next year, outgoing Democrats will use the lame duck session to fund as much of their agenda as possible before they hand over control.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) urged Republican lawmakers to vote against the continuing resolution in a memo sent to GOP House offices Tuesday night. All but 10 voted against the measure.
Nonetheless, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) expressed confidence Thursday that the House, controlled by Democrats, would pass the spending bill.
Among its provisions, the legislation provides $12 billion in aid to Ukraine and reauthorizes Food and Drug Administration user fees.
