US President Joe Biden has signed a temporary government spending bill that keeps agencies operating into December, after Congress punted key spending decisions until after the November election. The bill generally funds agencies at current levels through December 20, setting up the prospect of a government shutdown fight just before the holiday season. Lawmakers did … Read more
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said it is in the best interest of his party to avoid a government shutdown, adding that it would be “politically beyond stupid” for the GOP to go down this route ahead of the presidential election. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the lower chamber would hold … Read more
House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled a planned vote Wednesday on a stopgap funding bill that could keep the government open for the next six months after more than a dozen of his fellow Republicans walked back their support for it. “We’re going to work through the weekend on that,” said Johnson, R-La., less than five … Read more
WASHINGTON — Several far-right Republicans have come out against a plan by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to pair must-pass government funding with a bill targeting the supposed threat of widespread noncitizen voting. At least six Republicans have said they would vote against the bill, which is likely more than Johnson can lose without having … Read more
Former President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Republicans in Congress should shut down the government next month. Trump said that if Democrats won’t agree to legislation barring noncitizens from voting ― something that rarely happens because it’s already illegal ― then Republicans should block legislation funding basic operations of the federal government. “I would … Read more
A group of hardline House Republican conservatives and libertarians named their price Monday for keeping the government open past Sept. 30: passage of a bill against illegal voting that most experts say isn’t needed. The government’s day-to-day operations — most federal agencies and the programs they provide, aside from Social Security and Medicare — are … Read more
WASHINGTON ― The House of Representatives could be on the brink of another meltdown brought on by Republican infighting. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has threatened to trigger a no-confidence vote against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a repeat of the leadership squabble that turned the House into a circus for several weeks last … Read more
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills in the early morning hours Saturday, a long overdue action nearly six months into the budget year that will push any threats of a government shutdown to the fall. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. … Read more
The new spending bill to keep the federal government open past Friday includes a dollop of funding to help Ukraine fight off invading Russians — even though House Republicans had rejected the cash a few months ago and giving Ukraine any more money may endanger House Speaker Mike Johnson’s standing in the party. Buried in … Read more
WASHINGTON — The next government shutdown fight could also be a food fight. Republicans could win a crackdown on junk food in the federal government’s flagship nutrition program in legislation Congress needs to pass this week to prevent a partial government shutdown on Friday. Democrats oppose adding dietary restrictions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, … Read more
