WASHINGTON — A stopgap spending measure that will keep the government operating into early 2024 is on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk, as lawmakers prepare for the serious negotiations between the two chambers on full-year appropriations that will soon kick off.
The Senate cleared the continuing resolution with broad bipartisan support on an 87-11 vote late Wednesday after resolving some 11th-hour skirmishes.
Senate Armed Services ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., won a commitment to vote on sending the annual defense policy bill to a formal conference with the House. The issue for hours had slowed down a time agreement for votes on the CR.
Earlier, Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., agreed to allow a vote on a Rand Paul, R-Ky., amendment to impose 15% across-the-board discretionary spending cuts outside of the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs while clawing back $30 billion in unspent IRS funds. The Senate rejected Paul’s amendment, 32-65.
Schumer also agreed to a 60-vote threshold for passage of the CR in exchange for expediting the process. But that higher bar posed no threat to the stopgap funding measure.
On Tuesday, the House passed Speaker Mike Johnson’s bill on a 336-95 vote, with all but two defections being members of the Louisiana Republican’s own party. Biden is expected to sign the legislation ahead of Friday night’s deadline when the first stopgap funding law expires.
“I have good news for the American people,” Schumer said late Wednesday before the final Senate vote. “This Friday night there will be no government shutdown.”
Now, attention will turn to the next deadline: Jan. 19, when funding for agencies covered by the Agriculture, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD bills will run out. Funding for agencies covered by the other eight bills expires Feb. 2.
Johnson has vowed to not do any more short-term stopgap funding measures, which means appropriators in both…
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