The Senate approved a contentious six-bill government funding package on Friday following a short-lived government shutdown. The text of the bills was revealed in the early hours of Thursday, causing frustration among some Republican senators.
The House considered the appropriations measures on Friday morning, with the package passing by a vote of 286–134. Notably, a majority of Republicans, 112 in total, voted against the bills. Prior to the Senate's approval, concerns arose about the possibility of a partial government shutdown as Republican senators accused Democrats of refusing to address their proposed amendment votes.
An agreement was reached in the eleventh hour, with senators returning to the chamber floor to exchange papers before commencing the voting process. The $460 billion funding package, encompassing six of the twelve appropriations bills, had previously passed in both chambers despite significant opposition from Republicans regarding the spending amount, allocation of funds, and procedural matters.
The appropriations process was delineated in a continuing resolution (CR) last month, setting deadlines for the spending bills. The last-minute release of the 1,012-page package on Thursday drew criticism from several Republican senators, who argued that the one-day timeframe for review was inadequate and unacceptable.
Following the Senate's endorsement, the spending package now awaits President Biden's signature. With multiple stopgap measures to extend spending bill deadlines, the government is funded until the fiscal year 2025 appropriations bills deadline of September 30, 2024.
Concerns linger about potential funding disputes in the upcoming fiscal year 2024 negotiations, as the partisan divide remains narrow. Some Republican lawmakers have highlighted that the prolonged appropriations process is already impeding discussions for next year's spending priorities.
