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Shutdown Stunner: House GOP Passes Spending Bill to Keep Government Open

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  September 30, 2023 4:00 PM

This is a miracle development: the House GOP passed a spending measure to keep the government open, and it had Democratic support. Things were looking grim, especially since House Republicans failed to pass all four appropriations bills late Thursday night, an attempt to curry goodwill within the lower chamber. 

The agriculture bill fell short, and while a procedural motion to pass a continuing resolution passed yesterday, the evening meeting among the House GOP caucus usually means that the votes weren’t there for a bill to prevent a shutdown.

And this wasn’t a slim win for Speaker McCarthy. The House overwhelmingly supported this bill. The Senate is expected to pass the bill before the deadline at midnight (via Politico): 


In a shocking turn, the House on Saturday took an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote to avert a shutdown at midnight on Sunday — with the majority of Democrats bailing out the GOP.

 Speaker Kevin McCarthy passed the 45-day stopgap funding patch, 335-91, with help from more than 200 Democrats and 90 Republicans voting no. It's an unexpected move that is certain to accelerate a far-right rebellion aimed at taking his gavel. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is likely to pass just before the shutdown deadline. 

McCarthy's abrupt shift in strategy came after weeks of unwillingness to take any route that pits him against a handful of conservative hardliners who have refused to allow any bipartisan efforts to stave off a shutdown. 

“There was an outcry from rank-and-file that want a [continuing resolution]. We’re tired of fucking around with these whack jobs. They voted against it yesterday, so let’s just put up a clean CR,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), among those who had repeatedly pushed for the speaker to ignore his right flank. 

The vote capped a frenetic day in the House, where almost no lawmakers headed to the Capitol on Saturday morning had any hope for bipartisan dealmaking. 

But McCarthy shocked his party — and most on the Hill — by deciding to put a "clean" bill on the floor that could be enough to doom his speakership. The short-term funding patch that passed includes none of the GOP’s spending cuts or border policies. The only addition: $16 billion for disaster aid sought by the White House. 

The only question now is whether Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) will support unanimous consent to accelerate voting on the House bill. The Kentucky Republican told Politico that the caucus leans that way. And he would offer his support if no new Ukraine money is in this clean CR.

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The House is now in recess until Monday.

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UPDATE: The odds are VERY high that the Senate will approve the House bill.

UPDATE II: Or not?

UPDATE III: Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) feels everything will be worked out before midnight.