By KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON — The House approved a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills on Friday just a few hours before funding for some key federal agencies is set to expire, a long overdue action nearly six months into the budget year that will push any threats of a government shutdown to the fall.
The bill passed by a vote of 286-134 and now moves to the Senate, where leadership hopes for a final vote later Friday. More than 70% of the money would go to defense.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., brought the bill up under a streamlined process that required two-thirds support for approval. The vote was exceedingly tight, a reflection of anger among Republicans over the content of the package and the speed with which it was brought to a vote.
Signaling more trouble ahead, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., initiated an effort to oust Johnson as the House began the vote but held off on further action until the House returns in two weeks. It’s the same tool that was used last year to remove the last Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy of California.
The vote breakdown showed 101 Republicans voting for the bill and 112 voting against it. Meanwhile, 185 Democrats voted for the bill and 22 against.
Lawmakers could still miss the midnight deadline for funding the government as action in the Senate could take time. But the practical impact in the near term would be minimal. With most federal workers off duty over the weekend and many government services funded through earlier legislation, a shutdown would mostly pass without incident unless matters dragged into Monday.
“Democrats and Republicans have about 13 hours to work together to make sure the government stays open. That’s not going to be easy,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said as the Senate opened for business. “We will have to work together — and avoid unnecessary delays.”
Johnson broke up this fiscal year’s spending bills into two parts as House Republicans revolted against…
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