US Congress passes stopgap funding bill to avert shutdown

The US House of Representatives approved a crucial stopgap funding bill on Thursday, securing the federal government's financial support through early March and preventing a looming partial government shutdown.

This is based on a Reuters report.

The bill, passed with a vote of 314-108, now awaits President Joe Biden's final approval. This comes after the Senate's earlier approval with a decisive 77-18 vote, just ahead of the impending weekend deadline.

"There will not be a shutdown on Friday," Reuters quoted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The swift approval of the stopgap bill was prompted by concerns over an impending snowstorm on Friday that could have complicated lawmakers' travel plans for the weekend.

The bipartisan effort, however, faced opposition from 106 Republicans and two Democrats in the House. Despite divisions, the urgency to avert a government shutdown due to a lack of approved funding for the fiscal year that started on Oct. 1 took precedence.

The stopgap bill, often referred to as a "continuing resolution" (CR), will maintain spending at the previous fiscal year's levels until March 1 and March 8, providing lawmakers additional time to finalize a comprehensive budget for various government agencies.

The contentious budget negotiations in Congress, marked by partisan disagreements, have further complicated the funding process. Although Schumer and House Republican counterpart Mike Johnson initially agreed to a $1.59 trillion discretionary spending level for the fiscal year, their latest dispute reveals a stark division.

Democrats now assert that the agreed-upon amount is $1.66 trillion, reflecting the deep-seated discord within the Congress. The national debt, currently standing at $34.4 trillion, adds urgency to the need for a coherent and comprehensive fiscal plan. The interest payments on this debt are a growing concern for the Treasury Department.

This marks the third stopgap funding bill, with its primary aim to provide short-term financial stability while the Congress grapples with the daunting task of passing 12 bills that constitute the full-year budget.

The temporary funding measure, with its March deadlines, allows lawmakers to extend negotiations without facing an immediate shutdown crisis. However, it highlights the underlying challenges in achieving a consensus on long-term spending priorities.

House Republicans, especially those advocating for spending cuts, may pose challenges for Mike Johnson, reminiscent of the opposition faced by his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy.

Despite internal party tensions, Johnson seems to have maintained some support from hardline members who, while expressing displeasure, acknowledge the complex nature of the situation.

Representative Tim Burchett, who had voted against McCarthy's leadership in September due to a bipartisan stopgap vote, acknowledged, "It's just reality. Johnson didn't create this problem."

(With inputs from Reuters)