WASHINGTON — The House passed a short-term measure Tuesday to keep the federal government funded through March 11 while talks on a broader spending package continue.
Lawmakers voted 272-162 to pass the legislation released Monday by House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he intends to act on the legislation “quickly and in time for the February 18 deadline.”
The funding measure would avert a government shutdown on Feb. 18, when the previous short-term spending bill expires, and extend funding for about three weeks. DeLauro said the new stopgap bill is needed to buy negotiators time to reach a comprehensive spending deal that would keep the government funded at least through September.
"The American people deserve the certainty that comes with full-year funding bills," said DeLauro in floor remarks shortly before Tuesday's vote. "The transformative investments an omnibus provides will help create good-paying jobs and grow opportunity for the middle class."
The House vote comes amid bipartisan negotiations on an appropriations package to provide new funding levels across the federal government. In the meantime, agencies have been operating on funding levels from last year.
