Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Congress
The House approved another short-term spending bill Tuesday afternoon, a step in keeping the government open beyond Friday but drawing complaints from some members who want a permanent fix.The measure passed 271 to 158, with 54 GOP members opposing it, according to news reports. It would keep the federal government running through April 8 while House and Senate negotiators try to hammer out a longer-term spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year. The measure now goes to the Senate for a vote.
An earlier stopgap bill passed in early March trimmed $4 billion in federal spending and provided money to keep federal agencies operating through March 18.
The new continuing resolution cuts some $6 billion, still far short of the $61 billion the GOP-controlled House agreed to trim from the federal budget for the rest of the year. But the Democratically controlled Senate rejected the larger House bill, and the impasse over the budget has forced Congress to consider short-term measures until a compromise can be reached.