House easily passes spending package as lawmakers work to avoid another shutdown

1 month ago 1

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a bipartisan package of three spending bills on Thursday that would fund parts of the federal government through September, demonstrating the eagerness of lawmakers to avoid another government shutdown near the end of the month.

Congress has so far passed only three of the 12 annual spending bills that fund federal agencies for the current fiscal year. Failure to pass the remainder before a Jan. 30th deadline risks another shutdown just weeks after the record-setting, 43-day shutdown that occurred late last year.

Leaders from both parties endorsed the latest measure, signaling that passage is likely in the Senate as well, belatedly getting Congress halfway home in completing their work on this year’s spending bills. The White House also has endorsed the measure, calling it a “fiscally responsible bill.”

The package covers such agencies as the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Departments of Commerce and Justice. It passed by an overwhelming vote of 397-28, an unusual display of unity when it comes to government spending.