Share this @internewscast.com

WASHINGTON — Congress passed a bill on Thursday that would prevent a partial government shutdown this weekend and keep federal funds flowing through March 1 and March 8.

The Democratic-led Senate voted 77-18 on final passage after considering a few amendments. The Republican-led House soon followed suit, passing it by a vote of 314-108.

The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law before the funding expires Friday at midnight.

It is the third stopgap bill since last September as the divided Congress struggles to agree on full-year government funding bills. Thursday’s bill passed with mostly Democratic votes, with 107 Republicans voting for it and 106 voting against it.

A recent deal between Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on how much to spend in the new year has renewed hope of completing the process by the new early March deadlines. But that is far from guaranteed as right-wing House Republicans rebel against it.

The first stopgap bill led to the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker. His successor, Johnson, is seeking to avoid the same fate by selling the conservative victories in the latest deal.

Before the Senate vote, Schumer inveighed against “a loud contingent of hard-right rabble-rousers who thinks a shutdown is somehow a good thing.”

“In the twisted logic of the hard right, the theory is if enough people feel the pain of a shutdown, the hard-right can bully the rest of Congress into enacting their deeply unpopular agenda,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Thursday morning. “Bullying, intimidation, chaos. This is MAGA extremism in a nutshell.”

Around the same time, the House announced that it would cancel votes on Friday in anticipation of a winter storm and complete votes on the stopgap bill on Thursday.

The bill would extend the two-part government funding deadlines from Jan. 19 to March 1, and from Feb. 2 to March 8. The funding bill is unrelated to negotiations surrounding an immigration and national security supplemental bill that would provide aid to Ukraine and Israel. It’s designed to give appropriators more time to craft the 12 appropriations bills that fully fund the government using the newly agreed-to spending levels.

“We need just a little bit more time on the calendar to allow that process to play out,” Johnson told reporters, saying he’s “very hopeful” that Congress can pass all 12 measures.

“We’ll see how this develops. Certainly, we’re not going to have an omnibus,” he said, referring to the massive, last-minute spending bills Congress has frequently relied on. “And that was a very important innovation for us to forge forward because it’s no way to run a railroad.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Pope Leo XIV Chicago: Father William Lego of St. Turibius shares memories of his former classmate Cardinal Robert Prevost

Pope Leo XIV in Chicago: Father William Lego of St. Turibius Reflects on His School Days with Cardinal Robert Prevost

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Southwest Side priest is sharing fond memories of…
Anti-Israel mob descends on Brooklyn College in NYC as agitators brawl with police, get tased

Protesters Clash with Police at Brooklyn College Anti-Israel Demonstration in NYC

A chaotic scene erupted at a New York City university on Thursday…

Panic at Circus: Fire-Eater Accidentally Torches Tent with 113 Kids Inside, Causing Multiple Injuries

A FIRE-EATER accidentally ignited a large circus tent with 113 children present,…
Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass as pontiff in Sistine Chapel

Chicago Native Pope Leo XIV Conducts His Inaugural Mass as Pontiff in the Sistine Chapel

CHICAGO (WLS) — Pope Leo XIV is just beginning his first full…
Republican DA bucks blue state's 'broken sentencing' with tough-on-crime approach

Republican DA Challenges Blue State’s Sentencing Policies with Firm Stance on Crime

A Republican district attorney known for a tough stance on crime is…
Luxury real estate moguls hit with new allegations in sex trafficking case

New Allegations Surface Against Luxury Real Estate Moguls in Sex Trafficking Case

Federal prosecutors have introduced a superseding indictment against the Alexanders, three luxury…
Pope Leo XIV appearing on a balcony.

Pope Leo XIV Criticized for Allegedly Ignoring Sexual Abuse Claims Involving Priests in Chicago and Peru

POPE Leo XIV has been accused of “looking the other way” over…
Columbia faculty rights group condemns university's handling of library takeover: 'Authoritarian ethos'

Columbia Faculty Rights Group Criticizes University’s Response to Library Takeover: ‘Authoritarian Approach’

A faculty rights organization at Columbia University criticized the administration’s handling of…
World Video Game Hall of Fame inducts these four nostalgic games

Four Nostalgic Games Enter the World Video Game Hall of Fame

The World Video Game Hall of Fame on Thursday inducted four honorees,…
Pope Leo XIV watched ‘Conclave’ ahead of papal summit — and plays Wordle and Words With Friends, brother reveals

Pope Leo XIV Enjoys ‘Conclave’ Movie Before Papal Gathering and Loves Word Games, Brother Shares

The brother of Pope Leo XIV has revealed what the pontiff enjoys…
Columbia suspends anti-Israel agitators after takeover, spreading of pamphlets glorifying alleged terrorist

Columbia University Halts Protesters After Campus Takeover and Distribution of Pro-Terrorism Leaflets

Columbia University has put a temporary hold on the enrollment of 65…
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other US tech leaders testify to Congress on AI competition with China

US Tech Executives, Including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Address Congress on AI Race with China

WASHINGTON (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, along with executives from Microsoft…