NBC News - House passes bill to avoid a shutdown, sending it to the Senate hours before the deadline

The bill, which keeps the government funded through March 14, must still pass the Senate before 12:01 a.m. to avoid a shutdown.

Dec. 20, 2024, 11:51 AM EST / Updated Dec. 20, 2024, 6:11 PM EST
By Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur, Ali Vitali, Julie Tsirkin and Kyle Stewart

WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House on Friday evening passed a short-term bill to avert a government shutdown, just hours ahead of a deadline that would force U.S. troops, border patrol agents, air traffic controllers and millions of other federal workers to work without pay during the holidays.

The vote was 366-34, with all opposition coming from Republicans and one member voting present. It capped a tumultuous week in the House that foreshadowed how the new Congress in January might deal with a mercurial Donald Trump back in the White House. A two-thirds vote was needed because the bill came to the floor under a fast-track process.

The legislation now heads to the Senate which must pass it before 12:01 a.m. to avert a shutdown.

The package funds the government at current levels through March 14, and includes disaster aid and a farm bill — while stripping out a debt limit extension demanded by President-elect Trump earlier in the week.

Just three days ago, bipartisan House and Senate leaders struck an agreement to keep the government’s lights on, but Trump and his billionaire confidant Elon Musk killed the deal, insisting at the 11th hour it needed to extend or abolish the debt limit to make way for Trump’s agenda next year.

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