The United States House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly late Friday to approve a medium-term appropriations measure that will keep the federal government funded and open through the holidays and beyond, but without the increase in the debt ceiling and the tax giveaway for multimillionaires and billionaires that Donald Trump and a circle of his rich donors had demanded at the last minute.
By a vote of 366 to 34, the House sent the legislation to the Senate for further consideration. (It is officially known as H.R. 10445 — Further Continuing Appropriations and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025.)
Dozens of Republicans voted against it, while all of the Democrats in the building voted yea except for Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, who voted “Present.”
The roll call from the Pacific Northwest was as follows:
Voting Yea, to Keep the Federal Government Open: Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland (WA), Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas (OR), Mary Peltola (AK); Republican Representatives Cliff Bentz (OR), Mike Simpson (ID), and Ryan Zinke (MT)
Voting Nay, to Shut Down the Federal Government: Republican Representatives Russ Fulcher (ID) and Matt Rosendale (MT)
Not Voting: Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA); Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR)
The revised proposal quickly took flight after congressional Republicans (correctly) concluded that causing another government shutdown would be disastrous.
“House Republicans voted in their closed-door conference meeting on Friday on the strategy, according to more than a dozen Republicans leaving the meeting,” Politico reported earlier today. “In addition to funding the government until March 14th, the plan will also include a one-year farm bill extension and the $110 billion disaster aid package Republicans negotiated with Democrats.”
President Joe Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement confirming he would sign the bill once it got through the Senate and reached his desk.
“A government shutdown heading into the holidays would mean service members and air traffic controllers go to work without pay, essential government services for hardworking Americans would be paused, and economic disruption would occur,” she said. “Following an order by Trump, yesterday Republicans walked away from a bipartisan deal and threatened to shut down the government at the eleventh hour in order to pave the way to provide tax breaks for billionaires. This revised legislation does not do that.”
“While it does not include everything we sought, it includes disaster relief that the President requested for the communities recovering from the storm, eliminates the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires, and would ensure that the government can continue to operate at full capacity.”
“President Biden supports moving this legislation forward and ensuring that the vital services the government provides for hardworking Americans – from issuing Social Security checks to processing benefits for veterans — can continue as well as to grant assistance for communities that were impacted by devastating hurricanes.”
“With another imminent government funding deadline, I joined my bipartisan colleagues to avert a shutdown that would have had catastrophic, mounting costs on our economy and hardworking families across Southwest Washington,” said Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D‑WA-03) in a statement sent to NPI.
“Every moment our government is shut down, real people face real consequences – so this week, as my colleagues faced challenges reaching consensus, I stayed at the table and stood ready to find an independent and bipartisan solution for my community.”
“When one proposal included Congress giving itself a pay raise, I spoke out against it – and the provision wasn’t included in this legislation.”
“We need a representative body of lawmakers who are focused on leveling the playing field for hardworking families, not self-serving efforts to bump their salaries. This bill also includes an extension of provisions allowing local law enforcement to prioritize getting fentanyl off the streets and holding traffickers accountable.”
“The American people deserve better than for five-alarm fires to become the status quo, so I’ve led bipartisan legislation to revamp our annual budget process and address our worsening deficit. I remain ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on a full-year funding solution that meets the needs of Southwest Washington.”
“Today, I voted to keep the government open so that our servicemembers will continue to get paid, farmers will get the assistance they deserve, and families will be able to put food on the table this Christmas,” said Representative Andrea Salinas (D‑OR-06).
“I am relieved that we were able to avoid a shutdown and pass a bare minimum extension of the Farm Bill,” Representative Salinas added.
“At the same time, I am deeply disappointed in Speaker Johnson’s failure to pass a bipartisan deal that would have responsibly funded the government while addressing several top priorities for the American people – from prescription drug reform to addiction treatment. Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to torpedo that bipartisan agreement and send us spiraling toward a shutdown – simply because the richest man in the world [Musk, who spent millions on his election] told him to do it. That is not how any leader in a democracy should govern, and it shows that Republicans would rather do the bidding of their wealthy donors instead of working for the people who elected them.”
“As the Majority Party, Republicans need to get serious and work with Democrats to pass truly bipartisan solutions when we return in January. We were sent here to do right by our constituents, not cater to the whims of billionaires.”
“I will always put the people of Oregon’s Sixth District first, and I will work with anyone – Republican or Democrat – who shares my commitment to bringing down costs and making life better for Oregonians.”
The original stopgap funding legislation was summarized by the Congressional Research Service as having the following provisions and impacts:
Further Continuing Appropriations and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025
This bill provides continuing FY2025 appropriations for federal agencies and provides emergency funding for disaster relief. It also extends, modifies, or establishes various programs and authorities throughout the federal government.
Specifically, the bill provides continuing FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies through the earlier of March 14, 2025, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2025 appropriations bills have not been enacted when the existing CR expires after December 20, 2024.
The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2024 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility and additional appropriations for various programs.
The bill provides emergency funding to various federal agencies for assistance related to hurricanes, droughts, floods, and other natural disasters.
In addition, the bill extends several expiring programs and authorities, including provisions related to
- agriculture;
- public health, Medicare, and Medicaid;
- child welfare;
- telecommunications;
- protecting certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft systems;
- cybersecurity;
- foreign affairs;
- older Americans; and
- workforce development.
The bill also includes several additional provisions that establish or modify various programs and authorities that address a wide range of policy issues.
We’ll post more reaction to this afternoon’s vote as we get it.
House Republicans defy Donald Trump, join Democrats in voting for new stopgap bill to avert pre-holiday government shutdown is a post from NPI's Cascadia Advocate, the journal of the Northwest Progressive Institute. Published continuously since March of 2004, NPI's Cascadia Advocate provides thoughtful commentary and analysis on regional, national, and world politics. Keep The Cascadia Advocate going by making a contribution to sustain NPI's research and advocacy here.