Phew!!! Government Shutdown Averted...Narrowly.
The federal government will continue to operate, thanks to the $1.2 trillion dollar spending bill that was passed by the House on Friday and the Senate early on Saturday. President Biden signed it shortly after the Senate passed it. This bill will keep the government running through October, meaning no more of these short term CR's that the House GOP keep pushing through.
Shortly after signing the bill, President Biden put out a statement saying that “neither side got everything it wanted” and reminded Democrats that most of the Republican pushed "extreme" cuts were flat out rejected.
The vote in the House was close, with Democrats largely pushing the bill across the finish line. This enraged the far right nutjobs in the Republican side and actually led to Marge Three Toes filing a motion to vote to remove Speaker Johnson. It won't even be considered until after the two-week spring break the House is on, so it may have just been a performative stunt.
The Senate Republicans were not without their own version of shenanigans. They had tried to push through amendment votes on immigration, Iran sanctions and spending in other areas. But altering the bill to add those poison pills would have guaranteed a shutdown, as the process to review and pass the bill in the House would have started all over again...and been delayed by at least two weeks.
Some of the additional positive things to note from the bill: