The United States House of Representatives narrowly averted a government shutdown on Friday by passing a funding bill that will keep federal operations running through mid-March.
The bill, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, now heads to the Senate, which has until midnight to approve it and prevent a lapse in funding.
The House, controlled by Republicans, saw 34 members of its party vote against the measure, while nearly all Democrats backed it.
“Today, Democrats stood firm in our commitment to collaboration, not division. The American people deserve a government that works for them,” senior Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson posted on X.
The bill’s passage comes amidst heightened tension, with up to 875,000 federal workers facing furloughs and 1.4 million more potentially required to work without pay if a shutdown occurs. Non-essential operations, including the closure of parks and national monuments, would also be impacted.
The House-passed bill, which includes $110 billion in disaster relief and financial aid for farmers, avoids these disruptions by securing government funding for the next three months. This version of the bill omitted a two-year suspension of the borrowing limit previously demanded by President-elect Donald Trump, which had caused earlier versions to fail.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who played a key role in salvaging the legislation, faced significant opposition within his party. Two prior compromise attempts had collapsed under pressure from Trump and Elon Musk, the incoming “efficiency czar.”
Musk’s influence over the Republican Party, amplified through his social media platform X, has sparked criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans. His posts attacking the original funding deal, often rife with inaccuracies, created further divisions within the GOP.
“Last time I checked, Elon Musk doesn’t have a vote in Congress,” said Georgia Republican Rich McCormick in an interview with CNN. “He has influence, and he’ll put pressure on us to do whatever he thinks the right thing is for him. But I have 760,000 people that voted for me to do the right thing for them.”
Trump, for his part, has remained adamant about his priorities, even expressing a willingness to let the government shut down if his demands are not met.
“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration,” he stated on social media.
Despite the drama in the House, the Senate, led by Democrats, is expected to pass the measure, though the timing remains uncertain. Procedural rules could delay approval unless senators unanimously agree to expedite the process.
