House Passes Measure Funding Government Past the Midterms
Republicans and Democrats are eager to avoid another shutdown drama as they focus on re-election
- The House passed a bipartisan resolution in a 370-48 vote to fund the government through Dec. 11, sending the bill to President Trump.
- The stopgap spending measure puts off further fights over government spending until after the midterm election.
- Many House Democrats backed the measure after Republicans agreed to increase funding for disaster relief, federal housing and nutrition programs.
WASHINGTON—The House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution to fund the government past a Sept. 30 deadline, with both Democrats and Republicans eager to avoid a shutdown and leave Washington as soon as possible to campaign ahead of the midterms.
The resolution, which passed 370-48, extends current funding levels through Dec. 11. The Senate passed the stopgap spending bill last month, and it now goes to President Trump’s desk.
The measure, which came to the floor under a fast-track method that requires two-thirds support, was backed by the White House.
“We want to get a longer-term deal, but at a minimum, let’s ensure that we can continue to see government properly funded and functioning,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) said Tuesday.
Passage of the measure put off further fights over spending until after the midterm election. Earlier this year, funding lapsed for more than two months for the Department of Homeland Security, because of Democratic officeholders’ anger over the killings of two American citizens by immigration officers. Last year, funding for the entire government lapsed for 43 days in a fight over healthcare funding.
On Tuesday, many House Democrats who previously opposed the measure backed it after Republicans agreed to increase funding for programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, disaster relief and federal housing initiatives.
The resolution also temporarily blocks political appointees at the Office of Management and Budget from interfering in grant decisions and cuts off any new money from going to immigration enforcement—including funds transferred between agencies. The provision didn’t go over well among some Republicans.
Some GOP members also expressed concerns that the bill included a Senate provision that delays restrictions on intoxicating hemp products.
Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas), who voted against the resolution, said it failed to “deliver on common-sense policies,” citing the lack of more funding for border enforcement and the delay on the hemp product ban.
Roy, who lost his primary in May, said his GOP colleagues just want to go home and campaign. “But if everybody thinks that just making nice and playing ‘prevent defense’ is going to win in November, I disagree.”