On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to advance a short-term extension for government funding, propelling the bill to President Biden’s desk. To avert a partial government shutdown, the President must sign it before the day’s end on Friday.
The vote, which resulted in a 314 to 108 approval, showcased a nearly even split within the House GOP. Notably, 107 Republicans supported the extension, while 106 opposed it. The urgency surrounding the bill’s passage prompted House leaders to expedite its consideration immediately after the Senate’s endorsement with a vote of 77 to 18.
Referred to as a continuing resolution (CR), the bill was presented for a vote under a suspension of the rules. This procedural shortcut bypasses an initial vote but necessitates two-thirds support from House lawmakers for final passage, deviating from the usual simple majority requirement.
The decision to pursue this short-term funding extension came amidst widespread dissatisfaction within the right flank of Speaker Mike Johnson, particularly over the repeated use of CRs. Despite Johnson’s previous commitment to avoiding further CRs after one passed in November, congressional leaders deemed it necessary to provide lawmakers additional time to negotiate a spending deal for fiscal year 2024.
In the hours preceding the vote, House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good engaged in discussions with Johnson, advocating for the inclusion of a border security amendment to the CR. Good argued that such an addition would force the Senate to decide whether to fund the government while also addressing border security concerns.
However, Johnson swiftly dispelled these rumors through his spokesman, Raj Shah, who clarified that the plan remained unchanged. The House proceeded with the vote on the stop-gap measure to keep the government operational.
The new CR, if signed into law, aligns with Johnson’s “laddered” approach, preserving two separate funding deadlines. The extension pushes these deadlines from Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 to March 1 and March 8, respectively. Johnson’s rationale behind this approach is to prevent the passage of an all-encompassing “omnibus” spending bill, a prospect opposed by Republicans in both the House and the Senate.
Despite complaints from members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus earlier in the week, acknowledgment prevailed that there were limited options to impede the CR’s passage. The bill enjoyed support from House Democrats and a substantial portion of House Republicans, making its approval seemingly inevitable.