The House approved Thursday evening a short-term spending bill that keeps federal agencies operating through January 19, a major step toward avoiding a government shutdown.
by Deirdre Walsh, Lauren Fox and Phil Mattingly
Washington DC (CNN) - The legislation passed 231-188 and heads to the Senate where it is expected to be approved ahead of a Friday deadline. The proposal also included an extension of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program through March, and a three-week extension of the FISA surveillance program.
Immediately after the vote, the House also has passed an $81 billion disaster aid bill in the wake of this year’s devastating hurricanes and wildfires. The bill includes additional money for hurricane recovery in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and along with fires that impacted California. It passed the House 251-169, but it’s not expected to be taken up in the Senate until after the new year.
Republican leaders had appeared at an impasse over the spending bill just hours before the House voted, though signs of progress toward a resolution began to emerge throughout the day. House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry, a Texas Republican who demanded for weeks that the Pentagon needed a full year spending bill with added resources, told reporters Thursday that he would now vote for a stopgap bill to extend current levels until mid-January and he believes it will pass.
He said he has had some “very intense conversations” with his leadership, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and others about finalizing a broader deal.
“I am pretty optimistic that we will be able to have an agreement in January that starts the rebuilding process of the military, but we’ve got to quit using the military as a political pawn,” he said.
Republicans are trying to avoid a shutdown just days ahead of the holidays, but passing a funding bill will require the party to go it alone in the House or risk overshadowing their biggest legislative accomplishment of the year.
