Lawmakers in the House voted to advance a short-term spending bill Thursday night, a critical next step in keeping the government up and running before funds run out at midnight on Friday.
The continuing resolution would extend spending levels through February 16, and would delay several Obamacare taxes.
It would also fully fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which has gone without funding since it expired on September 30, for six years.
The vote was 230-197. Of the 230 affirmative votes, 224 were Republicans, and six were Democrats. Eleven Republicans voted against the CR.
House Speaker Paul Ryan negotiated until the last minute with members of his conference to rally enough votes for passage.
Conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus, some of whom previously opposed the bill, ended up supporting the stopgap measure after HFC Chairman Mark Meadows came to an agreement with Ryan over several demands conservatives made.
In return for their support, Ryan agreed to allow a vote on a conservative immigration bill sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte—as long as it has enough support among Republicans to pass, according to a source familiar with the discussions—and a standalone vote on a defense funding bill for the rest of the year.
The short-term spending bill will face challenging odds in the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not currently have enough votes for passage.
Several Senate Democrats came out against the bill Thursday, and some Republicans made clear their opposition to the CR as well, including Sens. Lindsey Graham, Mike Rounds, Rand Paul, and potentially Mike Lee, who has consistently voted against CRs in the past.
McConnell will only have a day to find 60 votes to pass the stopgap funding bill.
