U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at the Capitol in Washington, January 6, 2022.
Susan Walsh | Reuters
The House on Tuesday passed a funding bill that would prevent a government shutdown later this month, sending the measure to the Senate.
Congress faces a Feb. 18 deadline to avoid a lapse in federal funding. The bill approved by the House would keep the government running at current levels through March 11.
It passed by a 272-162 margin.
Earlier Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he plans to vote on the spending plan “quickly and in time for the Feb. 18 deadline.”
Congress in recent years has often failed to pass full-year appropriations bills, bouncing between last-minute, short-term legislation to keep the government running. Lapses in funding can lead to furloughs of federal workers and disruptions to government services and the economy.
Appropriators hope the three-week funding extension will give them enough time to craft a spending plan that goes through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. They failed to strike a long-term deal before the Feb. 18 deadline.
“We are close to reaching a framework government funding agreement, but we will need additional time to complete the legislation in full,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said in a statement Monday.
House members plan to leave Washington after votes Wednesday and are not set to return until after Presidents Day.
