The House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday to prevent a government shutdown. This short-term bill will keep the government funded until March 14 and is now moving to the Senate. The vote was 366-34, and all opposition came from Republicans. During this time, a shutdown could have forced many federal workers, including troops and air traffic controllers, to work without pay during the holiday season.
The bill was sent to the Senate before a midnight deadline to avert the shutdown. The package maintains current funding levels and includes $100 billion in disaster aid and a one-year farm bill. However, it does not include a debt limit extension that President-elect Trump requested earlier in the week.
Representative Thomas Massie mentioned that House Speaker Mike Johnson changed his initial decision to combine multiple spending measures into one bill after talks with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Massie noted that the plan is to divide the funding package into smaller parts so each can be voted on separately.
There was a mix of Republican and Democrat interactions, with Musk raising questions about the bill’s political affiliation. Massie stated that the bill had improved from 1,500 pages to just 100, thanks to transparency and changes made from feedback. He criticized the earlier plan to include a debt ceiling increase as part of the legislation, suggesting it wasn't feasible at the last moment.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that pushing a debt ceiling suspension into the bill was not realistic, and he praised the final agreement. The White House expressed support for the bill, noting that it may not include every request but contains essential disaster relief and prevents tax cuts for the wealthy while ensuring government operations continue smoothly.
Earlier, the conversation about the debt limit and funding had caused disagreements among Republicans, with some vowing to address the debt issue in a future tax bill once Trump takes office. The House Speaker characterized the bill as a temporary solution until the new Congress and the President can take over in January.
As discussions evolved through the week, Republicans needed to cater to both their members and the Democrats to secure passage. The importance of timely action was underscored by the potential impact on federal employees' pay during the holiday season.
https://100percentfedup.com/breaking-house-passes-spending-bill-avert-shutdown-thomas/
No comments:
Post a Comment