House passes stopgap spending bill to avoid shutdown

The House voted 343-67 to approve a continuing resolution to extend the federal funding deadline to Dec. 18 and avoid a government shutdown on Friday. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

Dec. 10 (UPI) — The House on Wednesday passed a stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the week.

The short-term measure, known as a continuing resolution, passed by a vote of 343-67. It would extend the funding deadline from Friday to Dec. 18 after a previous extension at the end of September.

Congress sought a one-week extension as lawmakers have struggled to agree to a new sweeping omnibus funding bill.

An agreement on legislation has been held up by disagreements over immigration provisions, abortion language and other items.

Wednesday’s bill will move on to the Senate for another vote.

The bill comes as Congress has struggled to agree to terms on another round of COVID-19 stimulus, which is expected to be intertwined with a final spending bill.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday proposed a $916 billion coronavirus relief package that includes money for state and local governments, and liability protections for businesses, schools and universities.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the offer was a step in the right direction but added it must not block progress on bipartisan talks after a group of lawmakers proposed a $908 billion package.

“Members of the House and Senate have been engaged in good-faith negotiations and continue to make progress,” they wrote in a joint statement. “The bipartisan talks are the best hope for a bipartisan solution.”

The bipartisan talks have faced resistance from Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has proposed that Congress “set aside state and local and we pass those things we can agree on knowing full well we’ll be back at this after the first of the year.”

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