House passes Bill30 Sep 2023 20:21
WASHINGTON—The House passed a measure to extend government funding through mid-November after a coalition of Republicans and Democrats joined ranks to stave off a government shutdown, putting the matter squarely in the hands of the U.S. Senate.
The House voted 335-91 for the measure, which includes $16 billion in disaster relief but omits aid for Ukraine. That exceeded the two-thirds majority needed to clear the bill through the House, which considered the legislation under special procedures requiring a supermajority of votes.
Before the vote, House Republicans argued that the party had exhausted its options after dissident conservatives derailed an earlier plan, and said that the only choice now was to pass a bill extending funding at 2023’s $1.6 trillion annual rate through Nov. 17. That squares with major components of the approach being taken in the Senate, except that the Senate version includes an emergency $6 billion for Ukraine.
“I want to keep government open,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) said after a closed-door conference meeting earlier Saturday, noting that the House still needs to pass eight of 12 spending bills. “I am asking Republicans and Democrats alike. Put your partisanship away. Focus on the American public.”
Some Democrats had worked to rally their members against the legislation, arguing against omitting aid for Ukraine and saying that Republicans had pulled a fast one by advancing a bill that they said would enable a pay raise for members of Congress. But Republicans moved to fix the cost-of-living increase matter, and also questioned why Democrats would be willing to shut down their own government in the name of supporting Ukraine.
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