On Saturday evening, the Senate approved the measure, following an unexpected reversal by the House earlier in the day. The House passed a bipartisan bill to extend government funding, ending days of uncertainty regarding a potential shutdown.
In a statement on Saturday, President Biden praised the bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate for their actions, which averted an unnecessary crisis that would have adversely affected millions of hardworking Americans. He criticized House Republicans for their last-minute scramble, stating that such a situation should never have arisen in the first place.
This temporary measure will keep the government funded until November 17, including provisions for natural disaster relief but without additional funding for Ukraine or border security. It also ensures the continued operation of the Federal Aviation Administration.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy introduced the stopgap proposal on Saturday morning, a decision that followed weeks of infighting among House Republicans and the failure of a GOP stopgap bill in the House. The bill received strong bipartisan support in the House.
McCarthy’s decision to seek Democratic support for the bill could jeopardize his speakership, as hardline conservatives threaten to vote him out of his leadership role. McCarthy, however, remained resolute after the vote, challenging his detractors to take action, emphasizing that he acted in the best interest of the country.
McCarthy faced a significant setback on Friday when the House failed to advance a last-minute GOP stopgap bill. This intensified pressure on him to consider working with Democrats to keep the government open, even if it risked backlash from conservative members.
It is expected that hardline conservatives will attempt to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker, although not immediately, according to a Republican lawmaker. The earliest this vote could happen is when the House reconvenes on Monday, followed by a two-day window for leadership to schedule the vote.
The House vote on the bill followed a tumultuous morning for House Republicans, with deliberations on how to proceed. Ultimately, Republican members, including veteran appropriators and those from swing districts, pushed for a short-term funding resolution to be brought to the House floor for a vote on Saturday.
The Senate had been working on its own bipartisan stopgap bill and was preparing for a procedural vote on Saturday afternoon. However, the Senate’s plans were put on hold when the House swiftly passed the short-term funding extension, leading senators to rally behind the House-passed bill.
House Republicans had expressed reservations about the Senate’s bill, and Senator Rand Paul had vowed throughout the week to delay the Senate’s consideration of the spending bill due to objections regarding Ukraine aid. However, on Saturday afternoon, Paul announced that he would not obstruct the Senate’s consideration of the House-passed spending bill.
A government shutdown would have had far-reaching consequences across the country, impacting areas such as air travel and access to clean drinking water. Many government operations would have come to a halt, although services crucial for public safety would have continued.
