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
Harvard students earn course credit helping asylum seekers as critics calls school 'bastion of woke activism'

Harvard’s Innovative Program: Students Earn Course Credit by Assisting Asylum Seekers Amid Criticism of ‘Woke Activism

Harvard University has introduced a new course, titled “Immigrant Justice Lab,” where…
Jesse Jackson death: Reverend's family to speak Wednesday in Chicago on death of civil rights icon

Honoring a Legacy: Family of Civil Rights Icon Jesse Jackson to Address the Nation

Chicago is in a state of mourning following the passing of Reverend…
Cause of death revealed for Tommy Lee Jones’ daughter, Victoria

Tragic Loss: Cause of Death for Tommy Lee Jones’ Daughter Victoria Finally Unveiled

Victoria Jones, daughter of the acclaimed Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, passed…
'Not a step toward a solution'

Why This New Measure Falls Short of Solving the Problem

In a recent strategic shift, Russia altered its lineup for the latest…
Mamdani's tax hike will land him 'Real Estate Agent of the Year' after inevitable exodus: Kevin O'Leary

Kevin O’Leary Criticizes Mamdani’s Tax Hike, Predicts Real Estate Exodus and Unlikely ‘Agent of the Year’ Title

Mr. Wonderful, also known as Kevin O’Leary, has a rather sarcastic take…
Canadian officials seize nearly 600 pounds of suspected methamphetamine at US border

Canadian Authorities Intercept Massive 600-Pound Methamphetamine Shipment at US Border

Canadian border authorities recently intercepted close to 600 pounds of a substance…
Grieving parents demand changes after son, 26, euthanized under controversial law

Heartbroken Parents Advocate for Reform After Controversial Law Allows Euthanasia of 26-Year-Old Son

The heartbroken parents of a young man are raising their voices in…
What is a data center? Expect more data centers in Illinois, like CyrusOne in Aurora, IL, amid noise, electric bill complaints

Why Illinois is Becoming a Hotspot for Data Centers Despite Noise and High Electric Bills

In Aurora, Illinois, data centers are on the rise, serving as the…
Police arrest Georgia man, 18, who charged US Capitol building wearing tactical vest, holding loaded shotgun

Georgia Man, 18, Detained After Allegedly Storming US Capitol with Tactical Vest and Loaded Shotgun

In a tense episode that unfolded just days before President Trump’s State…
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin to leave post, vows she's 'not exiting the fight'

DHS Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin Resigns, Pledges Continued Advocacy in Homeland Security Efforts

WASHINGTON — Tricia McLaughlin, a prominent advocate for President Trump’s stringent immigration…
Peru interim President Jose Jeri ousted over secret China meetings

Peru’s Interim Leader Jose Jeri Removed Amid Controversy Over Undisclosed China Talks

On Tuesday, Peru’s Congress removed President Jose Jeri from office just four…
Body found on Long Island ID’d as missing grandma Kathleen Trent

Authorities Confirm Identity of Long Island Remains as Missing Grandmother Kathleen Trent

The tragic discovery of a woman’s body in a wooded area on…