House to Vote on Bill to Prevent Government Shutdown
The House is gearing up for a crucial vote on a bill that could prevent a government shutdown. If passed, the measure will buy Congress more time to negotiate long-term funding, but it has already faced opposition from some members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
The bill, proposed by newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, includes a two-step plan to extend government funding. The first step would extend funding until January 19 for key priorities such as military construction, veterans’ affairs, transportation, housing, and the Energy Department. The rest of the government would be funded until February 2. However, the plan does not include additional aid for Israel or Ukraine.
Johnson has argued that his plan will prevent Congress from passing a massive spending bill in December, but some conservatives oppose the bill because it does not implement the deep spending cuts they have demanded. As a result, the bill will need significant Democratic support to pass the House, as the GOP holds only a narrow majority.
The short-term funding plan has already triggered opposition from the conservative House Freedom Caucus, with roughly 30 hardliners taking an official position against Johnson’s two-part government funding plan. This has forced House Republican leaders to seek support from Democrats to pass the bill.
The House is expected to vote on the bill soon, and if it passes, the Senate will need to approve the measure before government funding expires at the end of the week on Friday, November 17. The bill’s fate in the Senate and the broader funding fight in the new year remains to be seen.
CNN’s Kristin Wilson, Annie Grayer, and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.