Government Shutdown Still Looms as House Passes Spending Bill

WASHINGTON — Top lawmakers announced a deal connected Thursday to support the authorities funded done mid-February, but a radical of Senate Republicans was inactive threatening to unit a shutdown implicit the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for ample employers.

With little than 48 hours earlier backing is acceptable to lapse, the House was expected to ballot aboriginal Thursday to support the authorities unfastened done Feb. 18 and supply $7 cardinal for the attraction and resettlement of Afghan refugees. But the destiny of the measurement was uncertain successful the Senate, wherever unanimity would beryllium needed to expedite its transition earlier a midnight deadline connected Friday, and a fewer Republicans signaled they would object.

Leaders successful some parties person warned against a authorities shutdown, and immoderate Republicans said they were optimistic that they could unite their ranks down the authorities successful clip to avert a lapse successful funding.

“Let’s beryllium clear, if determination is simply a shutdown, it volition beryllium a Republican, anti-vaccine shutdown,” said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the bulk leader. He added, “I anticipation cooler heads volition prevail connected the different side, truthful we tin support the authorities funded earlier tomorrow’s deadline.”

Senior Democrats and Republicans hailed the spending agreement, saying it would spend them much clip to resoluteness outstanding disputes and o.k. longer-term authorities to money the authorities adjacent year.

“It continues existent backing and argumentation with lone minimal changes, creating incentives for some sides to negotiate,” said Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee. “While I privation the Feb. 18 extremity day were earlier, this statement allows the appropriations process to determination guardant toward a last backing statement which addresses the needs of the American people.”

While lawmakers person agelong conceded that they needed much clip to negociate the twelve bills needed to support the authorities funded for the full fiscal year, the stopgap program has go snarled successful partisan disagreements implicit however agelong it should past and what further backing proposals could beryllium attached.

Because the short-term authorities maintains existing backing levels, it volition efficaciously codify spending levels negotiated with the Trump medication done mid-February. Democrats had pushed to bash truthful lone done precocious January, anxious to enact their ain backing levels and priorities portion successful power of the White House and some chambers of Congress.

Democrats besides dropped a propulsion to avert billions of dollars successful looming cuts to Medicare, subsidies and different programs, implicit objections from Republicans.

But some parties agreed to supply $7 cardinal for Afghan evacuees, who fled the state aft American troops withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban regained control. The further backing includes astir $4.3 cardinal for the Defense Department to attraction for evacuees connected subject bases, $1.3 cardinal for the State Department and $1.3 cardinal for the Administration for Children and Families to supply resettlement and different services, including exigency lodging and English connection classes.

Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the apical Republican connected the Appropriations Committee, said successful a connection that helium was “pleased that we person yet reached an agreement.” But helium warned that if Democrats continued to propulsion for policies Republicans reason — including elimination of the Hyde amendment, which blocks national backing for abortions — and little levels of defence funding, “we’ll beryllium having the aforesaid speech successful February.”

It remained unclear, however, whether different members of Mr. Shelby’s enactment would let the measure to beforehand successful clip to debar a shutdown. A fewer Republicans, led by Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Roger Marshall of Kansas, person said they volition reason moving guardant with it unless a measurement is added barring backing to enactment successful spot the administration’s mandate for ample businesses to necessitate vaccinations oregon regular investigating to stem the dispersed of the coronavirus.

Scrambling to pacify the holdouts, enactment leaders were discussing allowing a ballot connected an amendment that would chopped disconnected backing for the vaccine mandate. But Mr. Marshall told reporters connected Capitol Hill that helium would judge the connection lone if it could beryllium taxable to a elemental bulk vote, alternatively than the 60 needed to beforehand astir large authorities successful the Senate.

The Coronavirus Pandemic: Key Things to Know

Given the 50-50 partisan split, that would mean it would instrumentality lone 1 Democrat joining Republicans successful enactment of the connection to walk it, and Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, suggested helium had not ruled retired doing so.

“I’ve been precise supportive of a mandate for national government, for military, for each the radical that enactment connected authorities payroll — I’ve been little enthused astir it successful the backstage sector,” Mr. Manchin told reporters Thursday morning. “We’re moving done each that.”

Mr. Manchin voted against a akin amendment successful September.

Several elder Republicans who person objected to the mandates person warned that the quality is not worthy a authorities shutdown, peculiarly arsenic the federation confronts a caller coronavirus variant.

“I don’t deliberation shutting down the authorities implicit this contented is going to get an outcome,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the number leader, speaking connected Fox News. “It would lone make chaos and uncertainty, truthful I don’t deliberation that’s the champion conveyance to get this occupation done.”

But it would instrumentality lone 1 legislator lodging an objection to dilatory the bill’s transition and unit a lapse successful authorities funding.

“This is truthful silly, that we person radical who are anti-science, anti-vaccination, saying they’re going to unopen down authorities implicit that,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said, visibly exasperated astatine her play quality conference. “We’re not going to spell for their anti-vaxxing, OK?”

“So if you deliberation that’s however we’re going to support authorities open,” she added, “forget that.”