Congress Strikes Deal on Stop-Gap Funding Through February

McConnell
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Congressional leaders struck a deal Thursday to fund the government through February, which serves as a victory for Republicans.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said in a statement that Republicans and Democrats struck a deal to fund the government using a continuing resolution (CR) through February 18.

A CR would keep government funding at the same levels, although it will include roughly $7 billion to support refugees from Afghanistan.

DeLauro and Democrats have pushed for a shorter-term deal, but Republicans wanted more time to strike a longer-term deal.

“While I wish it were earlier, this agreement allows the appropriations process to move forward toward a final funding agreement which addresses the needs of the American people,” she said in a statement.

A government shutdown will occur after midnight on Friday if Congress fails to pass the CR before then.

President Joe Biden and Congress struck a deal to fund the government on September 30 through December 3.

The deal follows as many House and Senate conservatives have led a movement to oppose the CR, wanting to use the potential government shutdown as leverage to block Biden’s vaccine movement.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has led the movement in the Senate, and he has the support of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Roger Marshall (R-KS).

These conservatives could also secure a 51-vote amendment to the CR to block the vaccine mandate as an alternative means of stopping the Biden mandate.

Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) has also led a movement to use a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to block the measure; the vote on the CRA resolution is expected to happen next week. A CRA requires only a simple majority in both chambers of Congress.

House conservatives, including the House Freedom Caucus (HFC), have led the movement in Congress’s lower chamber.

The House Freedom Caucus said Wednesday that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) should “deny timely passage of the CR unless it prohibits —in all respects — for the vaccine mandates.”

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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