WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The federal government is no longer facing a shutdown because Wednesday night Congress passed a short-term funding bill, but it’s only a temporary fix.
The funding bill keeps money flowing to government agencies through the election, but it ends December 20th, setting up a holiday funding fight.
“The American people can sleep easier knowing we have avoided an unnecessary government shutdown,” said Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Congress is celebrating after both the House and the Senate passed a short-term funding bill known as a continuing resolution.
While continuing resolutions never ideal, none of us like them. It’s not a way to run a railroad. It allows Congress to continue serving the American people through the election,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
House Republicans wanted to attach the SAVE Act to the funding bill, a measure that would require proof of citizenship to vote but they were forced to take it out in order to reach a compromise that could pass.
“It took much longer than it should have. But because House Republicans finally finally chose to work with us in the end Congress is getting the job done,” said Schumer.
The bill keeps most federal funding at its current level and adds more money for the Secret Service and the upcoming presidential transition.
“Nobody got everything they wanted, but we all thought: okay, more money for the Secret Service, making sure there’s enough money for the transition. But let’s leave everything else pretty much alone,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla).
Not everyone is happy but the fight over what to cut and where to spend will continue as lawmakers now have more time to figure out a long-term budget.
“My hope is that now we can get going in earnest on hammering out bipartisan full year funding bills including providing long overdue disasters assistance,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
Now lawmakers are rushing back to their districts to hit the campaign trail with Election Day less than six weeks away.
