US House Passes Spending Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown; Senate Prospects Are Uncertain

House Republicans passed a short-term spending bill late Thursday (17 January) after they received support for it from the most conservative wing of the conference, the Freedom Caucus, to avoid a government shutdown, reported NBC News. The bill seeks to extend government funding for four weeks until 16 February, as well as delay some taxes that are key sources of Obamacare, said the report.

The bill will now have to face the Senate test, which is set to be much harder to pass. The Democrats believe they can stop the bill in its tracks here, with at least six Republican senators already having announced their opposition to it. Senate Democrats aren’t worried about a government shutdown as it is the Republicans who control both the House and the Senate. Politically, this would affect the Republicans.

Democrats have been saying that they would want a deal on the so-called Dreamers – young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children – before they support yet another spending bill. This measure would be the fourth short-term bill of the kind since the fiscal year began in October 2017.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has sent an email to his Senate Republican members, writing, “I know we are all frustrated by the pace of negotiations on spending, but joining Democrats to shut down the government plays right into the Democrats hand.”

Now the fate of the bill will decided in the Senate.