House Passes Funding Extension To Avoid US government shutdown

The House of Representatives has approved a temporary extension of government funding to prevent another deadline to avoid a government shutdown. The short-term extension will fund some government agencies for another week, through March 8, and the remaining agencies until March 22.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate could vote as soon as Thursday night. The agreement tees up a vote on six of the 12 annual spending bills before the end of next week, allowing appropriations committees to execute the deal in principle and give lawmakers time to review the package’s text.

The government has been on the brink of a shutdown since the end of last September. If Congress does not approve the latest extension before Saturday, funding for transportation, housing, agriculture, and veterans programs will run out.

House Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good appeared disappointed in the deal, but a majority of the GOP caucus ended up voting for the bill. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, wants Congress to move on from this year’s spending fight by passing a one-year continuing resolution to fund the government through September.