According to the AP, the House approved a second short-term budget bill on Thursday that would fund two federal agencies until March 8 and March 22, respectively. Later in the day, the Senate is anticipated to approve it, averting a partial federal government shutdown that was scheduled to begin on Saturday.
With 320 votes in favor of the bill, it easily passed with the two-thirds majority required. Republicans were almost evenly divided, according to the New York Times, while Democrats accounted for the majority of votes (all but two were in favor).
As the fourth short-term extension in recent months, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislators anticipate that this one will be the last for the current fiscal year. According to him, negotiations had reached "nearly final agreement" on six of the yearly budget bills that support government agencies, and they had finished six of them. Nevertheless, until the "nearly" is nailed down, there is still a chance for another partial closure the following week.
Once again, the new agreement puts Johnson "on tight ice with members of the right flank, who detest short-term funding legislation and are growing weary of his tendency to bring continuing resolutions to the floor that have Democratic support—as was the case on Thursday," according to the Hill.
Congress is likely to approve about $1.6 trillion in spending for the fiscal year that started on October 1st, approximately in line with the previous fiscal year, by the conclusion of the process, which is now predicted to go until late March. That is what former Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to pay the White House last year, but a few months later, eight irate Republican legislators sided with Democrats and took a vote to remove him from office.
With 320 votes in favor of the bill, it easily passed with the two-thirds majority required. Republicans were almost evenly divided, according to the New York Times, while Democrats accounted for the majority of votes (all but two were in favor).
As the fourth short-term extension in recent months, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislators anticipate that this one will be the last for the current fiscal year. According to him, negotiations had reached "nearly final agreement" on six of the yearly budget bills that support government agencies, and they had finished six of them. Nevertheless, until the "nearly" is nailed down, there is still a chance for another partial closure the following week.
Once again, the new agreement puts Johnson "on tight ice with members of the right flank, who detest short-term funding legislation and are growing weary of his tendency to bring continuing resolutions to the floor that have Democratic support—as was the case on Thursday," according to the Hill.
Congress is likely to approve about $1.6 trillion in spending for the fiscal year that started on October 1st, approximately in line with the previous fiscal year, by the conclusion of the process, which is now predicted to go until late March. That is what former Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to pay the White House last year, but a few months later, eight irate Republican legislators sided with Democrats and took a vote to remove him from office.
