US Congress speedily backs new government funding before snowstorm approacheson January 18, 2024 at 9:58 pm

The US Senate has approved legislation to fund the government through early March, as Congress scrambles to avoid a partial shutdown on Saturday.

The temporary funding measure must now pass through the Republican-led House of Representatives before being signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Despite some Republican opposition, the House is expected to quickly follow suit later on Thursday.

Passage has been hastened by a weekend snowstorm bearing down on Washington.

On Thursday afternoon, senators easily passed the $1.66tn (£1.3tn) funding extension in a bipartisan vote of 77 to 18.

Democrats and Republicans have been far apart in recent budget negotiations, with hard-right conservatives demanding large spending cuts and their policies prioritised in exchange for their support.

In November, Congress approved a two-part short-term funding measure. Some key funding would run through 19 January, while the rest of government operations would have money to continue until 2 February.

The proposal, devised by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, was an attempt both to woo Democrats by keeping funding levels unchanged and to win over his hard-liners.

The latter faction opposes a single government spending bill that they often characterised as bloated. In a nod to their concerns, Mr Johnson began his speakership by vowing not to take up further short-term measures, or continuing resolutions (CRs).

The Louisiana lawmaker said the November measure would give Congress time to work on 12 individual bills to fund the government.

But time has run out. Key federal funding – including for agriculture, energy and water, military construction, veterans’ affairs, transportation, and housing programmes – is set to expire at midnight on Friday.

With the shutdown deadline looming, the Democrat-led Senate cleared the way this week to quickly advance a CR to extend this funding – as well as the funding that expires in February – into early March.

Getting the bill through the House is poised to be a much stickier task.

Facing a race against the clock, House leaders will likely suspend regular rules and seek to pass the bill with a two-thirds majority vote.

While Republicans control the House by a slim margin, they can afford to lose very few votes if they stick to party lines due to recent retirements and members’ medical issues.

That leaves Speaker Johnson in the unenviable position of needing significant support from his colleagues across the aisle.

More Democrats than Republicans are now expected to back the CR, which holds federal funding steady at previously agreed levels.

The last time House Republicans passed a CR with more support from Democrats, it led to the dramatic ouster of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker.

Though some conservatives have warned of similar consequences for their current leader, discussion of such a move has been relatively muted.

That is in part due to inclement weather that has narrowed the window to avert a shutdown that Republicans could be blamed for.

On Tuesday, the House cancelled votes ahead of a winter storm that brought several inches of snow to the nation’s capital.

The snow expected in the region on Friday is likely to be much heavier and, to avoid hundreds of likely flight cancellations, the House has already cancelled Friday votes.

Ahead of the Senate’s bipartisan vote on Thursday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed optimism the funding measure could be sent to the president’s desk by end of day.

“Avoiding a shutdown is very good news for the country,” he said.

“This is what the American people want to see: both sides working together and governing responsibly. No chaos, no spectacle, no shutdown.”