If the Senate does not pass the bill, funding for parts of the government would expire at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, starting a short partial shutdown at that point. If the bill is passed and signed by President Biden, government operations could resume.
Throughout Friday afternoon, a parade of far-right lawmakers gathered in the Senate chamber to protest the bill. They argued that the bill does not do enough to reduce federal spending and lacks the policy wins that conservatives on both sides of the Capitol have been demanding.
Other conservatives declined to offer amendments or accede to requests from Senate leaders of both parties to shorten debate time and allow a vote. With enough opposition, and with more Republicans waiting in the wings to speak on the floor, the group could have forced a brief government shutdown.
Many of the main issues relate to borders. Some Republicans had hoped the bill would include tough new restrictions on immigration and increased security at the U.S.-Mexico border. Another lawmaker wanted an amendment that would exclude illegal immigrants from apportioning electors and House seats. Still others sought to remove the designation from the funding bill.
The Senate agreed to allow a vote on four of the amendments before voting to pass them.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said Friday: “After months of hard work, this is good news for our country. Tonight, the Senate reached an agreement that avoids closure of the first six funding bills.” said. floor. “We will continue to fund critical programs for mothers and children, veterans, the environment, housing and more.”
The move is indicative of the fiscal crisis plaguing the 118th Congress. The House and Senate have passed four stopgap spending bills since September to avert a government shutdown. Friday's bill is a spending package that is supposed to fund parts of the government for the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, and that lawmakers expect to pass the deal six months into the fiscal year. A bill is being considered.
“I want to appeal to my colleagues to stop playing with fire here,” Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, told her fellow Republicans on the Senate floor Friday. “The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed these six bills as a package with a very strong bipartisan vote. The majority will vote for them. It's irresponsible not to do the basic job of providing funding. What's more important?”
Funding for the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Energy, Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to expire after midnight.
Opponents of the spending followed suit, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Ohio), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Another included an hour-long speech on the Senate floor, which stalled Senate proceedings.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) held up the bill because the embezzler did not approve funding for “national security imperatives,” his office told Punchbowl News. Ta. A spokesperson for Mr. Sullivan did not respond to a request for comment. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who is a close ally of Sullivan, called on lawmakers to approve funding for icebreakers for the Northern Sea Route, which has important national security implications.
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) disagrees with allowing a vote on the bill without an advance vote on an amendment that would exclude illegal immigrants from apportioning electors and members of the House of Representatives, which is unconstitutional. said. .
“We discussed an offer that maybe we could do something about this later to guarantee a vote,” Hagerty said. “But that's gone.” Ta.
