A bill that would keep the federal government funded through September passed in the House Tuesday, but it still has to pass in the Senate before President Donald Trump can sign it and avoid a Friday deadline.
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Here’s what is in the bill passed by lawmakers Tuesday
“Today, House Republicans stood for the American people and voted to maintain funding the paychecks for our troops, the agents who secure our borders, the TSA workers responsible for safe air travel, as well as the healthcare and benefits for veterans, and essential services and programs that keep the government operational,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). “But House Democrats decided to double down on partisan politics.”
Republicans released the bill over the weekend, and Trump offered his support for it on Truth Social.
According to Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, the bill would achieve the following:
· Prevent a government shutdown
· Fund core government services
· Maintain government operations “without increasing the spending of taxpayer dollars”
· Uphold responsibilities to veterans, including full funding for their healthcare services and benefits
· Enhance defense investments, including the largest pay raise for junior enlisted troops in over 40 years
· Support federal wildland firefighters
· Protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients from potential shutdown related disruptions
· Increase funding for air traffic control priorities over the previous fiscal year
· Funds a program that provides important nutrition assistance to mothers, infants, and children
He also said it “safeguards legislation from any poison pills.”
“House Republicans just passed a [continuing resolution, or CR] to fund the federal government and ensure veterans receive the care and support they have earned,” said the House Committee on Veterans Affairs of the legislation in an X post. “While Democrats yell from the sidelines, we’re focused on serving veterans and their families.”
Speaker Johnson also noted that Democrats rallied against government shutdowns in the past, when they had the White House.
Diving deeper into the healthcare provisions included in the legislation, the American Hospital Association noted that it would eliminate the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Relief cuts and extend programs such as the Medicare-dependent hospital program through the end of September.
What’s next?
In the House, the bill passed with a 217 to 213 vote. Most members of the chamber voted along party lines – the Republicans voting in favor and the Democrats voting against the bill. However, one Republican, Rep. Tomas Massie (R-Ky.) voted against it and one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) voted in favor of it.
“So Massie can vote for Debt Ceiling AND Budget to be put into the Trump Administration, making them both the Republicans problem and responsibility, but can’t give us a simple Continuing Resolution vote allowing us the time necessary to come up with a ‘GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL??? Republicans only ‘NO Vote. GRANDSTANDER!” said Trump in a Tuesday Truth Social post.
To pass in the Senate, the bill will need more support from Democrats.
“It would take eight democrats crossing the aisle to vote for this CR because it’s expected that [Republican representative] Rand Paul of Kentucky is going to be a stick in the mud no vote on this because for the same reason that… a member of his state’s delegation Thomas Massie in the house voted against it… they just have a principled objection to continuing resolutions,” said ABC News’ Steven Portnoy in a recent interview with Audacy.
He said the ball is now in the Democrats court. On that side of the aisle, liberal activists are pressuring lawmakers to “make a stand here stand against the DOGE related cuts,” said Portnoy, referring to the controversial new Department of Government Efficiency headed by Trump ally, multibillionaire Elon Musk. Massive federal government layoffs recommended by DOGE have been met with much criticism and confusion.
“Just overnight we’ve been reporting that half the staff of the department of education is being told that they’re being laid off,” Portnoy said. “So, the idea here is that… Democrats should demand that there be something in this bill that ties the president’s hands are aims to with respect to DOGE related cuts.”
At the same time, he noted that some moderate Democrats might be willing to vote in favor of the bill to avoid a government shutdown, including Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.). Indeed, Fetterman told The Hill that he plans to vote in favor of the bill.
“Even if the senate were to amend this bill – which it isn’t going to because the Democrats don’t have the majority,” said Portnoy, adding that, “the president could veto it and you’d still have the same dynamic where there’s a shutdown so all of this is part of the calculus.”
He said that Senate Democrats “huddled for a lengthy lunch where they discussed all of this,” Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning, their strategy was unclear.
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