November 15, 2023
Making sure that government stays in operation is a matter of conscience for all of us. We owe that to the American people.
United States Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA). On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted to approve a two-tier spending bill to prevent a government shutdown.
Why It Matters: House Representatives reached bipartisan agreement and voted 336-95 for government funding (with 93 Republicans voting against the bill). The bill now heads to the Senate where lawmakers are expected to approve the bill before the Friday deadline – 11:59:59 pm ET. If passed in the Senate, the bill will head to President Joe Biden to be signed into law, officially averting a government shutdown and pushing “a final showdown over government funding into the new year” (The Associated Press).
“Two-Tier Spending Bill”: The “unusual,” continuing resolution (“CR”) that representatives passed for temporarily funding the government. The proposal, brought forward by new House Speaker Johnson, keeps “some government offices open through mid-January while others would operate through the beginning of February” (NPR).
Read More:
House votes to prevent a government shutdown as GOP Speaker Johnson relies on Democrats for help (The Associated Press)
Congress on track to avoid a shutdown as House passes two-tier spending bill (NPR)
by Emily Hooker, based in Texas
