House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rushed through the passage of a short-term funding bill Thursday to keep the government open until mid-February, but the …
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rushed through the passage of a short-term funding bill Thursday to keep the government open until mid-February, but the vote likely came too late to prevent a brief shutdown at the end of the week. In a 221-to-212 vote, the House passed a bill keeping government funding at Trump-era levels until Feb.18, apart from an additional $7 billion earmarked for Afghan refugee resettlement. “We all have a responsibility to make sure that the government functions,” said Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat. “Our Members, whether they are here or they are home, stand ready to keep the government open.” Every single Democrat voted in favor of the bill along with one Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. It now heads to the 50-50 split Senate where a standoff is brewing over Democratic leaders and a group of conservative lawmakers. Five GOP senators are threatening to use an arsenal of legislative procedures to delay consideration of a short-term funding bill unless it strips out funding to enforce the mandate.
