- The 87-11 vote marked the end of the third budget impasse in Congress this year
- The next deadline for the Democratic-majority Senate and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is January 19
The Senate on Wednesday dismissed the risk of a government shutdown when it passed an emergency spending bill.
The 87-11 vote marked the end of the third budget impasse in Congress this year, with lawmakers pushing Washington to the brink of defaulting on its more than $31 trillion in debt this spring and twice within days of a partial closure that would have interrupted debt payments. approximately 4 million federal employees.
The latest near-miss shutdown led to the Oct. 3 impeachment of Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, leaving the chamber without a leader for three weeks.
But lawmakers have bought themselves just over two months of breathing space. The next deadline for the Democratic-majority Senate and Republican-controlled House of Representatives is Jan. 19, just days after the Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 presidential campaign season.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson held a press conference in Washington on Tuesday
The Senate sent the relief bill to Joe Biden last night to sign it into law before a weekend deadline.
“No drama, no delay, no government shutdown,” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the vote.
McCarthy’s successor, Speaker Mike Johnson, introduced a bailout bill that received broad bipartisan support, a rarity in modern American politics.
Democrats said they were pleased that it stuck to the spending levels set in a May deal with Biden and did not include poison pill provisions on abortion and other pressing social issues.
Republicans said they were eager to avoid the risk of a shutdown, which would have shuttered national parks and disrupted everything from scientific research to financial regulation.
But hardline members of Johnson’s 221-213 Republican majority expressed anger at the compromise and said they would try to rein in federal spending once current funding expires.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gestures during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday
“The speaker now has 10 days to work it out and get Republicans to actually stand up and fight when we come back,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a prominent hardliner, as lawmakers left Washington for a Thanksgiving -holidays. “We expect that fight when we come back.”
The legislation would extend funding for military construction, veterans benefits, transportation, housing, urban development, agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and energy and water programs through Jan. 19. Funding for all other federal operations – including defense – was set to expire on February 2. .
The repeated battles over providing funding to keep the government running — Congress’s most essential function — have prevented lawmakers from taking action on other proposals, including Biden’s request for $106 billion in aid for Israel, Ukraine and the U.S. border security.