House Passes Short-Term Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown
The House passed a short-term measure Tuesday to keep the federal government funded through March 11th while talks on a broader spending package continue. Lawmakers voted 272-162 to pass the legislation released Monday by House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The new funding measure would avert a government shutdown on February 18th, when the previous short-term spending bill expires, and extend funding for about three weeks. DeLauro said the new stopgap bill is needed to buy negotiators time to reach a comprehensive spending deal that would keep the government funded at least through September.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he intends to act on the legislation “quickly and in time for the February 18th deadline.”
The House vote comes amid bipartisan negotiations on an appropriations package to provide new funding levels across the federal government. In the meantime, agencies have been operating on funding levels since last year.
.@SenSchumer: "While negotiations on a full-year funding agreement continue, we will in the meantime avoid a pointless and costly government shutdown. This [continuing resolution] provides a little more time to reach a deal for a spending package." https://t.co/kze1HBYfaI pic.twitter.com/T3GFFDz3Hw
— The Hill (@thehill) February 8, 2022
If all of this sounds familiar, it should. It’s the third time the House has held such a vote since last fall. Appropriators now hope the three-week funding extension will give them enough time to craft a spending plan that goes through the end of the fiscal year on September 30th.
*HOUSE PASSES SHORT-TERM FUNDING BILL TO PREVENT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN pic.twitter.com/WuHOcPJl0w
— Investing.com (@Investingcom) February 8, 2022
House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) had expressed some frustration over the weekend that it was taking so long to come to an agreement on the budget bills. “The continuing resolution passed by the House today reflects our Majority’s determination to ensure that the work of government is not disrupted by a shutdown,” Leader Hoyer said in a statement after the vote. “We cannot, however, simply allow the government to operate under last year’s funding levels for the remainder of the 2022 Fiscal Year.”
Today's House-passed C.R. is premised on an understanding that the House & Senate Approps Committees are close to an agreement on the parameters for an omnibus funding package that will be ready no later than March 8. I am determined to bring an omnibus to the Floor by that date.
— Steny Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) February 8, 2022
House members plan to leave Washington after votes Wednesday and are not set to return until after Presidents Day.