House passes Republicans’ short-term government funding bill to avert shutdown

The Home handed the Republicans’ short-term authorities funding invoice on Friday forward of the Sept. 30 deadline to avert a shutdown.

The ultimate tally was 217-212. Finally, all however two Republicans supported the President Donald Trump-backed spending invoice with Reps. Thomas Massie and Victoria Spartz voting no.

Almost all Democrats who have been current voted towards the measure, although Rep. Jared Golden of Maine voted in favor.

The funding plan proposes $30 million in extra member safety over a greater than seven-week stretch — giving every member of Congress round $7,500 every week to spend on safety — greater than double their very own congressional wage. The package deal additionally contains $58 million to satisfy the Trump administration’s request for supplemental funding for the manager and judicial branches.

That funding supplants a pilot funding program that lawmakers had utilized for member safety within the wake of the capturing concentrating on state lawmakers in Minnesota over the summer season.

The funding invoice now heads to the Senate the place its destiny is unsure as Democratic assist is important for passage — a problem on condition that it requires no less than seven Democratic votes to succeed in 60 votes for passage.

Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned that “the ball is in Chuck Schumer’s court docket” to keep away from a authorities shutdown.

“I hope he does the correct factor. I hope he doesn’t select to close the federal government down and inflict ache unnecessarily on the American folks,” Johnson advised reporters Friday following the Home vote.

Senate and Home Democrats had unveiled a counter funding proposal that may solely prolong authorities funding till Oct. 31 and embrace well being care-related proposals like rolling again Medicaid cuts in Trump’s megabill that handed earlier this 12 months. This plan is a non-starter with Republicans who management majorities in each chambers.

Johnson mentioned Friday that the Democratic counter proposal is “stuffed with poison tablets” and “partisan calls for.”

Requested if he is open to assembly with Schumer or Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries earlier than the shutdown deadline, Johnson mentioned, “I’m all the time open to assembly with anyone to get our work performed right here. However there wasn’t actually a lot to debate with Chuck Schumer, as a result of he determined and introduced some time again that he was not going to go alongside for a clear brief time period.”

Forward of the vote, Democrats signaled they might vote to close down the federal government if Republicans did not cave to Democratic calls for to revive cuts to Medicaid and prolong Obamacare subsidies set to run out on the finish of the 12 months.

Johnson slammed Democrats for the transfer.

“It is simply very unlucky the Democrats try to play partisan video games after we’re in good religion attempting to fund the federal government,” Johnson advised reporters as he arrived on the Capitol on Thursday.

For his half, Trump urged Home Republicans to assist the “clear” funding invoice Thursday afternoon.

“Each Home Republican ought to UNIFY, and VOTE YES!” Trump posted to his social media platform. He additionally repeated his declare that Schumer and Democratic lawmakers desire a authorities shutdown.

Earlier this week, Jeffries spoke out towards the GOP’s plan.

“We is not going to assist a partisan spending invoice that Republicans try to jam down the throats of the American people who continues to intestine well being care,” Jeffries advised reporters. “Nobody who’s following what Republicans have performed to tear away well being care of the American folks can moderately counsel that accountable legislators ought to do something aside from push again aggressively to guard the well being care of the American folks.”