Stopgap Funding Bill Clears House, Heads To Senate

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a stopgap funding bill, aiming to prevent a looming government shutdown. The legislation has now been sent to the Senate for a vote.

As reported by The Hill on Saturday, the bill maintains the government's present spending levels for 45 days and includes $16 billion in disaster relief. Notably, the bill excludes Ukraine aid and border policy changes.

The bill was approved in a 335-91 bipartisan vote. The proposal was introduced by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), marking a significant shift in his approach to government funding.

See Also: Kevin McCarthy's Seat As House Speaker Under Threat As Far-Right Republicans Pitch Tom Emmer As Successor

Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate minority leader, announced that Senate Republicans would not advance the Senate’s bipartisan continuing resolution (CR), choosing instead to consider the House's plan.

Earlier this week, McCarthy had stated that he wouldn't present the Senate measure for voting, following concerns voiced by conservatives over Ukraine funding and absence of border security measures.

The approved stopgap funding bill is a departure from McCarthy's previous stance, which focused on gaining an advantage in negotiations with Senate Democrats and the White House by including border security in the funding measures.

However, this move puts McCarthy's Speakership at risk, as conservatives have threatened to oust him if he cooperates with their Democratic colleagues to fund the government.

Read Next: Trump Faces Possible Gag Order Over Controversial Attack On Gen. Mark Milley

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: Shutterstock