House narrowly passes six-month funding bill as shutdown deadline nears
Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans voiced confidence that they can push through a stopgap funding bill and avert a government shutdown at the end of this week.
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led House voted Tuesday to pass a six-month funding bill that would prevent a government shutdown at the end of the week, overcoming fierce Democratic objections.
The vote was 217-213, with all Republicans but Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, supporting the legislation. One Democrat, Jared Golden, of Maine, voted for it.
The measure now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Republicans control 53 seats, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has made clear he’s firmly against it. That means at least eight Democratic senators would have to support the bill to cross the Senate’s 60-vote threshold and send it to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The government is set to run out of money late Friday.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who shepherded the bill through the House, took a victory lap after the vote, saying that House Republicans "stood together" with one Democrat to keep the government's lights on.
Rating: 5