The House of Representatives on Tuesday night advanced a continuing resolution to fund the government through early September — but Senate Republicans have vowed to block the legislation amid uncertain support from Democrats.
WASHINGTON (CN) – A stalled budget passed by the House of Representatives was in procedural limbo Wednesday morning as Senate Republicans appeared unlikely to hold a vote on the measure as soon as party leaders weighed a path forward to avoid a government shutdown ahead of the midterm elections.
But the upper chamber’s decision to impose a short-term budget extension could worry House Republican leadership, some of whom reportedly see a closing battle with Democrats as a political winner for the GOP as voters head to the polls in November.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday night voted 220-205 to approve the budget package, known as a continuing resolution, which would fund government programs through Dec. 4. The ban, if passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, would bypass a Sept. 30 fiscal deadline and a shutdown.
Although the continuing resolution has survived the lower house, its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. Some Democrats would have to pass the measure to clear a 60-vote threshold needed to pass the bill — and it’s unclear whether Republicans can muster enough support for now to get the budget cap across the finish line.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has already said he would delay a vote on any continuing resolution passed by the House while talks with Democrats continue. And speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the top Senate Republican said there was “no shortage of opportunities” for related cooperation in the coming weeks.
“I think it’s going to be very important that we find a way forward to get a bipartisan deal to fund the government that will keep the government open and make sure government workers get paid,” Thune said.
But while Senate Republicans look to bipartisan cooperation on government funding, House Republicans reportedly see an opportunity to force a confrontation with Democrats that could prove politically beneficial.
Politico reported Tuesday that House Speaker Mike Johnson has privately urged Trump to support the continuation of the House resolution and push for a shutdown fight. House Republicans have argued that such a disagreement would look worse on Democrats and help the GOP’s chances in the upcoming midterm elections, where the party is projected to lose seats.
Democrats last year forced it a historically long government shutdown while they opposed Republican efforts to limit some health care subsidies. That 76-day debacle was followed by a longer, albeit partial, closing the Department of Homeland Security following the high-profile murders of American citizens by immigration enforcement agents.
Republicans at the time tried to turn both shutdowns against Democrats with limited success. This time, however, GOP leaders in the House seem to believe the political landmines can work in their favor.
Thune, meanwhile, has said that if talks with Democrats fail, Senate Republicans will consider passing a budget impasse through the budget reconciliation process, a procedural mechanism that requires only a simple majority to pass and thus can bypass a Democratic filibuster. Republicans have already used budget reconciliation to thwart Democrats twice in Trump’s second administration.
The House of Representatives, for its part, passed its own continuing resolution on Tuesday, despite concerns that some of the chamber’s most conservative Republicans would block the process as they tried to extract concessions from leadership.
Some lawmakers have threatened to halt the proceedings until Congress passes the Save America Act, Trump’s voter ID legislation that the president has sought for months. Conservative Republicans have said the measure should be attached to budget legislation, included in the reconciliation or even included in the National Defense Authorization Act that must be passed.
So far, the Save America Act’s future looks bleak — it currently has no path to passage in the Senate. But Trump in an address to the nation last week again called on congressional Republicans to act on the legislation as he alleged unprecedented foreign interference in US elections and demanded reforms to voting systems.
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