The risk of a government shutdown was averted Wednesday after the Senate passed a stopgap spending bill, 87-11, funding the government until early next year.
Ten Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Michael Bennet, voted against the measure, which now goes to President Biden’s desk to sign.
The White House previously said the president would give it the green light once it passes the Senate and if it "maintains current funding levels and has no harmful policy riders."
“No government shutdown, no cuts to vital programs, no poison pills. This is a great outcome for the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Wednesday night.
Driving the detente: Many House Republicans were convinced they would be blamed for any government shutdown and suffer in the next elections, while Democrats decided to join GOP colleagues in pushing off the next big budget fight, rather than using holiday deadlines to jam through a victory. Both resolved to hold their fire for next time, with almost all House Democrats and a majority of Republicans backing the stopgap spending plan.
Crucially, conservatives—though largely opposed to the measure—were willing to let House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) move it forward without threatening his job just three weeks into his tenure. […]
The bipartisan peace likely won’t last. A central question is whether Republicans will stand firm on their policy demands on hot-button issues such as abortion and immigration in talks over full-year funding ahead of the new January and February deadlines. House GOP lawmakers are seeking to have fiscal 2024 government funding set below the levels established in the debt-ceiling deal struck in June by President Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), a move that could prompt the White House and Hill Democrats to dig in next time around. (WSJ)
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who led the effort to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy after the last near-miss, extended Johnson more grace given that he just got on the job.
“McCarthy had seven months, and he dragged us along, and he backed us up against shutdown politics,” Gaetz said. “Johnson has had a few weeks. We’re gonna give him the time to design his plays and run his offense.”
The legislation funds military construction, the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, the Energy Department, and water programs until Jan. 19. All additional programs are funded until Feb. 2.