The House passed a stopgap government funding bill paired with an increase in the federal borrowing limit that will likely face a GOP filibuster in the Senate.
The vote was 220-211, with no Republicans supporting the measure.
Democrats, determined to avoid raising the debt limit without GOP support, looped in must-pass funding that will keep the government operating through Dec. 3.
Republicans refused to back the bill, citing their opposition to the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social welfare spending package they plan to pass in the coming weeks without any GOP support. Republicans say that bill constitutes reckless spending that will contribute to the nation’s debt and deficit.
“Democrats are asking Republicans to send a blank check, they are asking us to extend the debt ceiling to finance reckless spending, and as the Senate Minority Leader said, this is like co-signing a loan,” said Rep. Dan Meuser, a Pennsylvania Republican.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, urged Senate Republicans to block the bill. Senate rules require 60 votes to pass legislation, which means Democrats need at least 10 Republicans to vote for it.
Democrats hoped to lure GOP support by attaching $24 billion in emergency spending for states damaged by summer storms and wildfires. The move is likely to garner some GOP support but not enough to clear the Senate’s 60-vote hurdle.
“We’re going to kick it over to the Senate where we know support is not there,” said Rep. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican and top member on the House Rules Committee. “I suspect we will be back on this floor dealing with this matter again, hopefully in a fashion where the two parties can work together and keep the government open and operational.”
Congress must pass a stopgap funding bill by Sept. 30, when the 2020 fiscal year ends. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Congress the government needs additional borrowing authority by early October to avoid defaulting on loans.
Despite the apparent futility of winning passage of the two measures paired together, Democrats are determined to pressure Republicans into backing a debt limit increase, noting it has nearly always been raised with a bipartisan vote.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi argued “a very big chunk” of the nation’s debt was incurred under President Donald Trump, who enacted a major tax cut for individuals and corporations.
“Why would Sen. McConnell reverse his position and decide to throw an unnecessary wrench into the gears of our job growth and thriving economy?” the California Democrat said.
Democrats nearly derailed passing the bill on their own.
A group of liberal Democrats threatened to withhold their vote for the package unless leaders stripped the addition of $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
The protesting group included “Squad” members Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who have been critical of Israel’s strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip as militants launch rockets into Israel.
Democrats say they plan to shift the Iron Dome funding into the Defense Appropriations bill, but GOP lawmakers seized on the move, suggesting Democratic leaders caved in to their extreme liberal base.
Democrats defeated a GOP amendment that would have restored the Iron Dome money to the government funding and debt limit package.
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“Now is the time to ensure Israel has what it needs in the face of growing threats,” said Rep. Kay Granger, a Texas Republican and ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.
The measure includes an additional $6.4 billion requested by President Joe Biden to assist Afghan allies resettling in the United States following the military withdrawal from Afghanistan last month.
