The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday passed a bill to fund government agencies through the remainder of the fiscal year ahead of a Friday midnight deadline.
The measure now heads to the Senate, where it may face a tough fight securing enough Democratic votes. Republicans, who hold 53 seats, will need at least eight Democrats to avoid a filibuster and reach the 60-vote threshold. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has said he would oppose the measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Democrats would be to blame if the government shuts down after Friday.
"It is on them if this happens," Thune told reporters. "There is a funding vehicle that is available coming over from the House of Representatives."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not said yet what Democrats would do. "We're going to wait to see what the House does first," Schumer told reporters.
The 217-213 party-line vote in the House marks a victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as he grapples with a razor-thin majority and clears a path toward a massive tax reconciliation bill. President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to unite behind the CR, and Vice President JD Vance reportedly assured reluctant Republicans that the administration would soon propose a recission bill to claw back funds targeted by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
House lawmakers left for the week after passing the CR.
It's the
The bill trims about $13 billion from last year's spending levels mostly by wiping out all funds earmarked for certain projects promoted by individual lawmakers. It adds $6 billion to the defense budget and keeps nondefense funding relatively flat to the previous year.
Discretionary funding under the stopgap measure totals $1.658 trillion, according to House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla.
