Congress passes stopgap spending bill, punts shutdown showdown until February

How do you feel about Congress passing the short-term funding bill?

By Eric Revell, Countable News

What’s the story?

  • Congress on Thursday staved off the threat of a looming partial government shutdown, at least for now, as both chambers voted to approve a stopgap spending bill to fund the government ahead of a deadline of midnight Friday.
  • The House voted 221-212 on Thursday afternoon to pass the stopgap funding bill. The Senate followed suit in the evening, approving the funding package on a 69-28 vote after defeating a Republican amendment that would’ve prohibited the use of funds by the Biden administration to implement or enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
  • Known as the Further Extending Government Funding Act, the bill extends funding for federal agencies at currently appropriated levels through February 18th, in addition to extending expiring programs through that date, and providing $7 billion to aid Afghan evacuees.
  • Congress has struggled to reach a compromise on full-year appropriations for the rest of fiscal year 2022, but with President Joe Biden set to sign the stopgap spending bill into law ahead of the Friday deadline, lawmakers will have 11 more weeks to search for a compromise.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: John Brighenti via Flickr / Creative Commons)