Congress on Thursday passed a short-term stopgap spending bill to prevent a partial government shutdown at the end of the week.
The short-term extension is the latest of multiple extensions over the last few months, The Associated Press reported. It is expected to be the last extension for the current fiscal year.
The extension would keep some federal agencies operating through March 8, the AP reported. It would help another set of federal agencies to operate through March 22.
The House voted 320 to 99, according to CNN. 113 Republicans voted in favor of it. Ninety-seven Republicans voted against it with two Democrats joining them. The measure was approved hours later by the Senate with a 77 to 14 vote, according to The New York Times.
βLetβs finish the job of funding the government so we donβt have to do this again,β Senator Chuck Schumer, Democratic of New York and the majority leader said before the vote, according to the Times. βThis year, the good Lord gave us an extra day in February, so letβs make sure we finish the job and donβt drag this debate into March.β
βThe appropriations process is ugly,β Johnson said, according to CNN. βDemocracy is ugly. This is the way it works every year β always has β except that weβve instituted some new innovations. We broke the omnibus fever, right? Thatβs how Washington has been run for years. Weβre trying to turn the aircraft carrier back to real budgeting and spending reform. This was an important thing to break it up into smaller pieces.β
βWeβll get the job done,β House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
President Biden will get the bill next so it can be signed into law, the AP reported. It should get to him before March 8.
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