For Makini Brice and Gram Slattery
washingtonDec. 14 – The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a one-week interim funding bill aimed at giving lawmakers more time, until Sept. 30, 2023, to pass a bill to fully fund the federal government in the fiscal year ahead.
The stopgap measure, known as a “continuing solution,” is needed to prevent a partial shutdown of federal agencies that would otherwise begin Saturday.
The motion passed by 224 votes in favor and 201 votes against, mostly with their parties, with nine Republican votes in favor.
Congress’s top negotiators announced Tuesday an agreement on an outline for the full year’s bill.
They did not disclose the amount they agreed to, but it is expected to exceed the $1.5 trillion from last year. Richard Shelby, the top Republican negotiator in the Senate, said the package should be finished by December 23.
In addition to US government funding, the package is expected to include aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces and a bill to reform the way the US certifies presidential elections.
House Republicans have been opposing the bill all year, saying they would prefer to vote on government funding early next year, when they take majority control of the house and have more power to cut internal spending.
