Key facts
- The US House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to fund the government until December 4.
- The bill passed the House with a 220-205 vote, largely along party lines.
- The current government funding expires on September 30.
- The measure aims to prevent a government shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections.
- The bill now requires passage in the Senate with bipartisan support.
The US House of Representatives has approved a continuing resolution to fund the government through December 4, thereby averting a potential shutdown before the November midterm elections. The bill passed with a 220-205 vote, largely along party lines, and now proceeds to the Senate for consideration.
Top Republicans in the House pushed for the measure, arguing it was necessary to prevent Senate Democrats from blocking funding, as they have done previously. House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole stated the action was proactive to avoid a "manufactured shutdown crisis."
Democrats, while denying intentions to cause a shutdown, opposed the Republican-backed measure. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the House appropriations committee, criticized the bill as "hastily" conceived and lacking substantial reforms to immigration enforcement operations, which she linked to Donald Trump's policies.
The current government funding authority is set to expire on September 30. If the Senate fails to pass the stopgap measure, funding negotiations will intensify upon Congress's return from recess, with the midterm elections potentially complicating these discussions.