US House Passes Funding Bill To Avoid Shutdown, Senate Vote Expected Tonight

Sumaira FH Published December 03, 2021 | 05:50 AM

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2021) The US House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government through February 18 and avoid a government shutdown if their Senate counterparts pass the CR as well by Friday at midnight.

The House passed the continuing resolution, known as the Further Extending Government Funding Act, in a vote of 221 to 212 on Thursday, with 1 Republican and all Democrats voting in favor.

House Republicans asked Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell in a letter on Wednesday to use all tools at his disposal to block the CR in his chamber unless it removes funding for the enforcement of vaccine mandates. McConnell said on Tuesday following a meeting with Democratic counterpart Chuck Schumer that the government will not default or shutdown.

After the House vote, Schumer said the Senate would schedule a vote for Thursday night.

"It is looking good that we are going to pass the CR tonight and make sure that the government stays open," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters as quoted by Politico.

Some Republican senators want to add amendments to curtail the Biden administration's vaccine mandates for workers at larger businesses.

However, the report said those measures are unlikely to make it through the Senate.

At around a quarter to 8:00 p.m. EST on Thursday evening (1:00 a.m. GMT Friday), the Senate was in session but awaiting the next speaker with the anticipation that voting will start soon.