In a crucial legislative step, the U.S. House of Representatives has successfully passed a comprehensive spending package, marking a significant effort to avert a potential government shutdown.
What Happened: The House’s recent action to pass a substantial spending package has been a pivotal move to thwart a government shutdown. The Hill reported that the legislation, designed to fund various federal departments through fiscal 2024, was passed on Wednesday.
The “minibus” package, extending over 1,000 pages, garnered a bipartisan majority of 339-85, with 207 Democrats and 132 Republicans voting in favor. This package allows over $450 billion to Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Energy departments.
Following the House’s approval, the Senate is poised to vote on the package this week, as indicated by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), to secure funding ahead of the impending Friday deadline. Despite the House’s advancement, the appropriations process has sparked division within the GOP, presenting challenges for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and resulting in several stopgap extensions.
Speaker Johnson, who has pushed for moving away from the conventional year-end omnibus spending bills, views this vote as a triumph. However, the upcoming funding bills due on Mar. 22, covering sensitive sectors such as Defense and Homeland …