U.S. House Moves to Prevent Government Shutdown Amid Republican Discontent

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown. This measures maintains $1.2 trillion in funding through Dec. 20, despite discontent among Republicans for not achieving spending cuts. The bill then heads to the Senate and President Biden for approval.

The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to pass a stopgap funding bill to avert a partial government shutdown, scheduled to start next week. The measure, maintaining current funding levels of approximately $1.2 trillion through Dec. 20, will prevent thousands of federal workers from being furloughed and essential government services from being interrupted.

House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to bypass the House Rules Committee using a parliamentary maneuver to secure the measure's passage despite internal opposition. The Republican-majority House holds a narrow 220-212 majority, and the bill is set for a vote in the Democratic-majority Senate before being signed into law by President Joe Biden, all before the current funding lapses at midnight Monday.

A significant faction of House Republicans plans to vote against the bill, following presidential candidate Donald Trump's call for a shutdown unless contentious legislation prohibiting non-citizens from voting in federal elections is included. This provision is already illegal. The bill's passage underscores ongoing divisions within the Republican Party, highlighted by recent infighting that ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

(With inputs from agencies.)