Legislation advances without Trump’s demand for debt ceiling increase, moving next to the Senate for consideration.
The House of Representatives passed a stopgap spending bill on Friday, just hours before the government faced a potential shutdown. With a vote of 366-34, lawmakers advanced the measure, which will keep the government funded into early next year. The bill, which does not include President-elect Trump’s demand to tie a debt ceiling increase to the package, now moves to the Senate for approval.
The Senate must act quickly, passing the bill before the Friday midnight deadline to prevent a shutdown. This funding package extends government operations until March 14 and includes additional aid for disaster relief and economic support for farmers. It also extends programs from the Farm Bill until September 2025.
This bill represents a shift from the first funding measure, which failed earlier this week, and included a provision to raise the debt ceiling, a move opposed by many Republicans.
The new version was fast-tracked for a vote under a suspension of House rules, requiring significant Democratic support to pass. Despite initial resistance, 196 Democrats joined Republicans to push the bill through. Thirty-four Republicans voted against it. Though no official deal between House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has been confirmed, Jeffries acknowledged discussions had taken place leading up to the vote. He emphasized that removing the debt ceiling increase was key to gaining Democratic backing.
Johnson, who has been in close contact with Trump and Elon Musk throughout the negotiations, hailed the passage as a “necessary step” toward securing funding as the country moves into a new phase of leadership. “This is America First legislation,” Johnson said, referring to plans for significant shifts in Washington under Trump’s second term.
