As members in both chambers attempted to prevent a disruption in funding, a wave of indignation from conservative Republicans over the bipartisan deal threatened to topple the legislation.
Leaders in Congress raced to adopt a $1.2 trillion bipartisan budget deal before a midnight deadline on Friday in an effort to put an end to a conservative uprising and enable government funding through the fall. not to have a partial closure.
The legislation would fund the State Department, the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, and health agencies. House Republican leaders scheduled a vote on the bill for mid-morning. They were, however, still trying to stop Republicans from leaving their ranks, who were furious about an agreement that they claimed was being pushed through Congress too quickly and did not go far enough in cutting spending or imposing enough conservative policy requirements. uncommon.
Under a special procedure requiring a two-thirds supermajority, or 290 votes, President Mike Johnson and his deputies are depending on the same coalition of lawmakers (nearly all Democrats and a slim majority of Republicans) that have passed every spending bill so far over the past year to expedite passage of the bill in the House. However, with just hours to the vote, it was doubtful Johnson could get even half of his colleagues to back the proposal, which may make that cutoff point unachievable.
The plan, which combines six funding bills into one, would almost certainly result in at least a partial shutdown if it were to fail in the House on Friday. This would force lawmakers to start again only hours before federal spending was scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
It is unclear if Senate conservatives will consent to a fast vote on the bill in that chamber, where any senator may take longer to review the legislation, if it passes the House.
In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Johnson declared, “Democracy is a disaster.” “It’s particularly tough right now, and at times like this, but we’ve got to get our work done and there are a few very substantial wins here.”
Republicans and Democrats alike have emphasized their accomplishments in the painstakingly crafted law. Republicans celebrated the funding of 2,000 new Border Patrol agents, the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention capacity, and the elimination of funds for the primary U.N. organization aiding the Palestinians. The government education and child care programs, as well as research on Alzheimer’s and cancer, now have more financing thanks to the efforts of Democrats.
But the legislation has sparked fury among ultraconservatives both inside and outside the Capitol, who rallied their supporters to pressure lawmakers to vote against it.
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a well-known conservative, tweeted on social media on Thursday night, “America is being torn apart with open borders and $2 trillion deficits, and there are blue and red fingerprints on the knife.” led the opposition against the bill.