WASHINGTON >> The threat of a federal government shutdown was lifted late Saturday, just hours before the midnight deadline. Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open and sent it to President Joe Biden to become law.
The rushed package removes aid to Ukraine, a White House priority that was opposed by an increasing number of GOP lawmakers. However, it increases federal disaster assistance by $16 billion, meeting Biden’s full request. The bill will fund the government until Nov. 17.
After days of turmoil in the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy unexpectedly abandoned his demands for steep spending cuts and instead relied on Democrats to pass the bill, putting his own job at risk. The Senate followed suit, and the measure’s final passage marked the end of a chaotic day at the Capitol.
“This is good news for the American people,” Biden stated.
Biden also emphasized that the United States cannot allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted and expressed his expectation that McCarthy will fulfill his commitment to Ukraine.
The events in Congress have been sudden and bewildering, following days of House chaos that nearly resulted in a federal shutdown.
While the threat of a shutdown has been temporarily averted, this reprieve may be short-lived. Congress will once again need to fund the government in the coming weeks, and there is a growing risk of a crisis as opinions harden, especially among right-flank lawmakers who were ultimately overlooked in favor of a more bipartisan approach this time.
“We’re going to do our job,” stated McCarthy before the House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room and keep the government open.”
If no deal had been reached before Sunday, federal workers would have faced furloughs, military troops would have had to work without pay, and essential programs and services across the country would have experienced shutdown disruptions.
“It has been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief: There will be no government shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The package funds the government at current 2023 levels until mid-November and extends other provisions, including those for the Federal Aviation Administration. The House approved the package with a vote of 335-91, with the majority of Republicans and almost all Democrats supporting it. The Senate passed it with a vote of 88-9.
Hawaii Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, along with Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, voted in favor of the continuing resolution.
However, the elimination of Ukraine aid was devastating for lawmakers from both parties who pledged to support President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his visit to Washington. The Senate bill originally included $6 billion for Ukraine, and both chambers came to a standstill on Saturday as lawmakers considered their options.
“The American people deserve better,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, warning that “extreme” Republicans were risking a shutdown.
In order to approve the House package, McCarthy had to rely on Democratic support due to opposition from the speaker’s hard-right flank, which vowed to oppose any short-term funding measure. This move puts McCarthy’s job at risk as there are calls for his ouster.
After leaving behind the conservative holdouts, McCarthy is likely to face a motion to remove him from office, although it is uncertain whether there will be enough votes to topple the speaker. Most Republicans voted in favor of the package, while 90 opposed it.
“If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said in response to the threat. “But I think this country is too important.”
The White House has been closely monitoring the developments on Capitol Hill, and aides have been briefing President Biden, who is in Washington for the weekend.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a staunch advocate of Ukraine aid despite resistance from his own party, is expected to continue pushing for U.S. support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
“I have agreed to keep fighting for more economic and security aid for Ukraine,” McConnell stated before the vote.
Late at night, the Senate came to a standstill when Sen. Michael Bennet held up the vote, seeking assurances that Ukraine funds would be reconsidered.
“I know how important moments like this are for the United States to lead the rest of the world,” Bennet said, recounting his mother’s survival of the Holocaust after being born in Poland in 1938. “We can’t fail.”
The House’s sudden change in direction came after the collapse of McCarthy’s earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with significant spending cuts of up to 30% to most government agencies. The White House and Democrats rejected this proposal as too extreme.
“Our options are slipping away every minute,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a senior Republican.
The federal government was on the verge of a shutdown, causing great uncertainty for federal workers across the country and the people who rely on them. This included troops, border control agents, office workers, scientists, and others.
Families relying on programs like Head Start, food benefits, and various other programs faced potential interruptions or closures. At airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers would be expected to work without pay, but travelers could face delays in obtaining or updating their U.S. passports and other travel documents.
An earlier plan by McCarthy to keep the government open collapsed due to opposition from a faction of 21 hard-right holdouts, despite significant spending cuts and strict border security provisions.
The White House has disregarded McCarthy’s attempts to meet with President Biden after the speaker walked away from the debt deal they had brokered earlier this year to set budget levels.
Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy made multiple concessions, including reverting to the spending limits demanded by conservatives in January. However, this was not sufficient as the right-flank insisted on following regular rules, debating and approving each of the 12 separate spending bills required to fund government agencies, which is typically a months-long process.
McCarthy’s main Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, has threatened to call a vote to oust the speaker.
Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden’s main rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging Republicans to fight hard for their priorities, even if it means shutting down the government.
During an early closed-door meeting at the Capitol, several House Republicans, especially those facing tough reelections next year, urged their colleagues to find a way to prevent a shutdown.
“All of us have a responsibility to lead and govern,” said Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York.
The only House Democrat to vote against the package was Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. He stated, “Protecting Ukraine is in our national interest.”
Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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