Congress passes temporary spending bill

A bipartisan, temporary spending bill – that will fund some government agencies into January and others through to February – narrowly passed the House on Nov. 14, followed by the Senate on Nov. 15.

Congress has struggled for months – because of the partisan divide – to reach a deal to fully fund the federal government for the next fiscal year.

Despite the bill’s passage, a government shutdown is not off the table in 2024. The Associated Press reports that the passage of this bill pushes “a final confrontation on the government budget into the new year.”

The bill does not include the White House’s funding request for aid to Israel and Ukraine. Foreign aid has been the subject of hot debate as some Republicans have sought to cut back on it and other forms of federal spending.

Some Republicans expressed that they are upset that the bill does not cut spending as much as they would like.

‍According to the Texas Tribune, Chip Roy – House Republican and member of the far-right “Freedom Caucus” – claimed that the bill “continues to perpetuate the very system my constituents sent me here to oppose.”

Reuters quoted Republican Representative Mike Garcia as saying that the bill “isn’t ideal” but that “a shutdown is a far worse world to be in.”

Republican dissent was present when another temporary spending bill passed earlier this year – costing Kevin McCarthy his role as Speaker of the House.

For now, the new House Speaker – Mike Johnson – is less likely to face an ousting because he has more support from the conservative wing of the Republican party than McCarthy did, according to Reuters.

A new spending deal must be made by Jan. 19 for “military construction, veterans benefits, transportation, housing, urban development, agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and energy and water programs,” Reuters reports. All other federal programs must be funded by Feb. 2.