The House passed the first six spending bills needed to fund the government on a long-term basis, indicating a decrease in the frequent government shutdown concerns at Capitol Hill.
The bill easily passed in the lower chamber with a bipartisan vote of 339-85. Democrats, outnumbering Republicans, largely supported the bill, a recurring pattern in the House, even though the GOP holds the majority.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 06: U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) attends a press conference on government funding during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 06, 2024 in Washington, DC. Congress is working to pass funding legislation to avoid a government shutdown by the end of the week. Braun was joined by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) (L) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).
A group of House Republicans voted against the spending bill because it lacked many of the conservative policy wins some members wanted, such as stricter border policies, reported USA Today.
Despite efforts by House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders to highlight their achievements in the package, it was difficult to satisfy conservatives entirely. The Democratic-controlled Senate, President Joe Biden, and the GOP's narrow majority in the House limited their leverage to achieve all their goals.
"We want to cut spending, we want to limit the size and scope of the federal government. The reality right now is we have divided government," Johnson said Wednesday morning.
The bill is now headed to the Senate, where it is expected to pass and then finally be brought to Biden to sign off.
What Does The Funding Cover?
As noted by USA Today, Annually, Congress must approve 12 separate spending bills to maintain government operations. However, in recent times, legislators have struggled to adhere to their spending deadlines, leading them to consolidate the dozen bills into a single comprehensive piece of legislation known as an "omnibus."
But the first six of those spending bills are set to expire on March 8, so to avoid a partial government shutdown, negotiators packaged the funding into one deal known as a "minibus."
The plan passed Wednesday will fund parts of the government related to Agriculture, Rural Development and the Food and Drug Administration, Commerce, Justice and Science, Energy and Water Development, Interior, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.
Congress faces a significant hurdle in passing the remaining six bills, known for being more contentious than the first set.
Negotiators have until March 22 to finalize a long-term deal for government funding.
