Senate passes first government funding package to avoid government shutdown

Washington — The Senate passed six bills to fund parts of the federal government through September, narrowly avoiding a partial shutdown.

The Senate voted 75-22 to send the bill to President Biden’s desk ahead of the midnight deadline. Biden signed the bill on Saturday.

Passage was delayed by Republican demands for votes on amendments on immigration and other measures, and lapsed funding threatened to push the final vote to Saturday.

“This is good news for this country,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said before the vote. “We will continue to fund critical programs for mothers and children, veterans, the environment, housing, and more. Today, both sides worked together to move the government significantly closer to its goal of fully funding the government. Today’s bipartisan agreement gives us the momentum and space to complete the remaining spending bill by March 22.”

the house handed over the package On Wednesday, Democrats won the majority of votes needed to cross the finish line. Conservatives remained steadfast in their opposition to all recent funding extensions that lacked the spending cuts and policy riders they desired.

In a statement from the White House Friday night, the Office of Management and Budget said, “Preparations for the shutdown have been halted because Congress has passed a related appropriation bill and the President will soon sign the bill. , to be tracked.” “It happens every day, and the president signs the bill tomorrow, but the government is not shutting down and could continue business as usual tomorrow.”

The latest measures to keep the government open cover agriculture, energy and environment, housing, transportation, veterans affairs and the Department of Justice through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

meeting There are 2 weeks left, through March 22, to pass the remaining six spending bills to fully fund the government within the same period. But getting a second package through Congress, which includes funding for the Departments of Defense, State and Homeland Security, is expected to be more contentious.

If lawmakers can overcome this hurdle, it would resolve the spending dispute that has brought the government to the brink of shutting down multiple times since last fall and allow Congress to shift its focus to approving next year’s spending bill.

“We are on target and on track to meet the March 22 deadline,” Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday of the March 22 deadline.

DeLauro said the bill is “going through various stages.”

The current six bills include cuts to the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, welcomed. But the conservative House Freedom Caucus said it “ignores nearly all Republican policy priorities.”

Democrats sidestepped restrictions on abortion access sought by Republicans, secured investments in infrastructure and veterans programs, and fully funded nutrition programs for low-income women, infants, and children, known as WIC. .

Alan He contributed to the report.