Congress successfully averted a potential partial government shutdown by approving a funding extension just one day before the existing funding was set to expire. The decision received widespread bipartisan support in both chambers, with the Senate voting 77-18 and the House voting 314-108 to extend funding until March 1 and March 8. This bipartisan effort grants lawmakers additional time to negotiate a comprehensive, long-term spending agreement.
By preventing a shutdown, the American public is spared from disruptions in essential services, including food safety inspections, passport processing, air travel operations, early childhood learning programs, and small business loans, among other critical functions, for an additional six weeks.
Notably, more Democrats than Republicans in the House voted in favor of the extension, emphasizing the bipartisan nature of the agreement. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, highlighted the importance of the extension in providing sufficient time for appropriators from both chambers to collaborate on a final spending bill.
“This allows us to go forward for the appropriators on both sides, both chambers, to come up with a final bill. It takes time to do that, and so the reason we need just a little bit more time on the calendar is to allow that process to play out,” said Speaker Johnson during a weekly news conference.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that President Joe Biden would sign the legislation, urging House Republicans to collaborate across party lines to pass spending bills that fund the government for the entire year.
Despite the bipartisan support, conservative lawmakers in the House, particularly from the House Freedom Caucus, encountered hurdles in their attempt to block the deal due to its continuation of current spending levels. To circumvent opposition from hard-right GOP members, the extension was passed using a method requiring significant bipartisan support.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer commended the avoidance of a shutdown on the Senate floor, stating, “Avoiding a shutdown is very good news for every American. It’s precisely what Americans want to see. Both sides working together … no chaos, no spectacle, no shutdown.”
This marks the third government funding extension approved by Congress during this session, following extensions in September and November. The process has been marked by political challenges, including the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy by members of his own party over a bipartisan spending agreement.
Speaker Johnson, McCarthy’s successor, initially pledged not to support another extension but later agreed to one in January as it became apparent that Congress would not meet the existing deadline. The current extension provides Congress with an opportunity to formulate the spending legislation originally due in September.
Congress will now engage in the process of crafting the spending legislation, allowing Republicans to advocate for conservative policy priorities. However, Democrats have asserted their unwillingness to support any legislation containing “poison pill” policies.
Despite successful passage, the extension faced resistance from conservative members in both chambers, emphasizing the need for reforms in the appropriations process. The push for reform and concerns about the broken appropriations process were articulated by Senator Eric Schmitt, one of 18 Republican senators who voted against the funding extension.
In a video posted on social media, Senator Schmitt expressed frustration with the limited time spent on appropriation bills, highlighting the need for substantial reforms to address the systemic issues in the legislative process.
In the midst of these negotiations, the House Freedom Caucus made a last-minute attempt to derail the stopgap measure, pitching changes to border and migrant policies. However, their efforts were swiftly dismissed, and the extension proceeded as planned, marking a crucial step in avoiding a government shutdown and maintaining stability in essential services.