Nov. 16 (UPI) — The Senate easily passed a House bill that will keep the government funded through January, averting a possible government shutdown at the end of the year.
The bill passed with a vote of 87-10 late Wednesday night, sending the measure to President Joe Biden for his signature.
“I have good news for the American people,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “This Friday night there will be no government shutdown. I am pleased that Speaker Johnson realized he needed Democratic votes to avoid a shutdown.
“If the speaker is willing to work with Democrats and resist the siren song of the hard right in the House, then we can avoid shutdowns in the future.”
The bill marked the first victory for new House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who risked angering ultra-conservatives in his own party to pass the bill that did not include the poison pill of deep government spending cuts.
Johnson was able to win a convincing 336-95 vote for the continuing resolution to keep the government funded with both Republican and Democratic votes in the House while only 10 Republicans and one Democrat — Sen. Michael Bennett, D-Colo. — opposed it in the Senate.
The bill did not include a package covering aid for Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian assistance, or border security.
Despite the bipartisan passage of the bill in both chambers, the House Freedom Caucus remained defiant and has vowed to oppose the resolution.
“The House Freedom Caucus opposes the proposed ‘clean’ Continuing Resolution as it contains no spending reductions, no border security and not a single meaningful win for the American people,” the statement said. “Republicans must stop negotiating against ourselves over fears of what the Senate may do with the promise ‘roll over today and we’ll fight tomorrow.'”
