Government Shutdown Avert: House Passes Stopgap Bill

Government Funding Secured

The House on Wednesday approved a three-month government funding bill to avoid an end-of-the-month shutdown, sending the package to the Senate for consideration. The chamber cleared the legislation — which would fund the government at current levels until Dec. 20 — in an 341-82 vote, including support from 209 Democrats and 132 Republicans.

Legislation Details

• The Senate is expected to pass the stopgap Wednesday night.
• The bill includes $231 million in funding for the U.S. Secret Service.
• Passage caps off this month’s funding fight in the House.

Future Government Funding Challenges

This year’s battle over government funding, however, is not over: The three-month stopgap sets the stage for another shutdown showdown in December, during the lame-duck period. Lawmakers will need to cobble together a spending bill to keep the lights on in Washington past the new deadline.

Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed that the House will not approve a sprawling omnibus bill to avert a December shutdown, a statement welcomed by hardline conservatives. Yet, achieving this goal may prove difficult due to the razor-thin GOP majority and ongoing pressure in both the Senate and the White House.