Earlier today, the House passed the Republicans’ short-term government funding bill ahead of the September 30th deadline to avert a shutdown. The final tally was 217-212. Ultimately, all but two Republicans supported the President Donald Trump-backed spending bill with Representatives Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Victoria Spartz (Indiana) voting no. Nearly all Democrats who were present voted against the measure, though Representative Jared Golden of Maine voted in favor. In addition to funding the government until November 21st, the funding plan proposes $30 million in additional member security over a more than seven-week stretch — giving each member of Congress around $7,500 each week to spend on security – well more than double their own congressional salary. The package also includes $58 million to meet the Trump administration’s request for supplemental funding for the executive and judicial branches.
The action has now moved to the Senate with the chamber already voting on Democrats counter funding proposal that would only extend government funding until October 31st and includes health care-related proposals like rolling back Medicaid cuts in Trump’s mega bill that passed earlier this year. This plan is a non-starter with Republicans who control majorities in both chambers and failed. The Senate will now take a procedural vote on the just passed House bill, which is also expected to fail to achieve the necessary 60-vote threshold to succeed, putting lawmakers no closer to a solution to avoid a shutdown. But the gambit appears poised to push Congress down to the wire, with senators largely unclear on what off-ramps are available to avoid a funding lapse. Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) said that it’s “unlikely” the Senate will come back into town next week, meaning the next vote on the GOP’s stopgap bill would come on the evening of Monday, September 29th — less than 48 hours before a potential shutdown. The House is now expected to return on Wednesday, October 1st.
