On Wednesday night, the Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the government funded at current levels through December 20th, averting a federal government shutdown. The bill now goes to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The stopgap bill, which passed the Senate by a 78-18 vote on Wednesday, was introduced after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) failed to push his original funding proposal through the House of Representatives. This first attempt at a CR, which would have funded the government for six months, included the highly controversial SAVE Act, a Trump-backed plan that would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship at the time of registration. The majority of Democrats, despite a handful facing tough reelection bids, opposed the SAVE Act, citing the fact that it is already a crime to register or vote as a noncitizen in all federal and state elections. Without Democratic support, Johnson’s plan was unable to pass the House due to a divided GOP caucus.
After his original plan failed to pass the House, Johnson was forced to strip the SAVE Act and bring a new, three-month spending plan to the floor. The new bill passed the House on a 341-82 vote, with all opposition coming from Republicans. This move did not come without risk for Johnson, whose predecessor Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) became the first Speaker of the House to be ousted from his post when, last year, he was forced to work with Democrats to fund the government. Immediately following this bi-partisan maneuver, members of the GOP’s right flank voted to remove McCarthy from the Speakership. Johnson has defended the current bi-partisan funding bill, claiming that a GOP-led shutdown this close to Election Day would be “political malpractice.”
Having averted a shutdown for three months, Congress will now go on recess, with the stage set for a budget showdown when they return in November. Johnson has claimed that he will not allow any omnibus funding bills, which are large spending bills that package many programs into one, onto the floor during the lame duck session in December. While this would be a break with recent congressional precedent, much of the planning for this session will depend on the outcome of the November elections. For now, however, the government remains funded.