US House sends $460bn spending bill to Senate, stopping partial government shutdown
The US House of Representatives has approved a $467.5 billion spending package, marking the initial step to stop a partial government shutdown.
Funding for approximately 30% of the federal government, including sectors like agriculture, energy, housing, and veterans’ affairs, is set to expire at midnight on Friday.
The bill passed by the House will now proceed to the US Senate, where leaders have pledged to endorse it “with time to spare.”
But the threat of shutdown looms over Congress once again in just two weeks.
In a vote on Wednesday, House members approved the package comprising six funding bills with a margin of 339-85. This compromise was reached after extensive negotiations between House and Senate leaders over several months.
Upon passage in the Senate and subsequent signing by President Joe Biden, the 1,050-page legislation will extend funding for numerous federal programs from March 8th until September 30th.
Nevertheless, negotiators still have substantial issues to resolve before the next funding deadline on March 22nd, particularly concerning major government agencies like the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and State.
Capitol Hill has been engulfed in acrimonious spending disputes over the past six months, characterised by clashes between Republicans, who control the House, and Democrats, who hold the majority in the Senate.