The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a short-term spending bill that would keep federal agencies running through Feb. 18, 2022 — just one day before the federal government was scheduled to run out of money. The vote was 221-212, with one Republican joining all Democrats to pass the bill.
The measure now heads to the Senate, where passing the bill remains in doubt. A small group of conservative Republicans, who oppose vaccine-or-testing requirements for companies with at least 100 employees, have threatened to delay passage of the short-term funding bill, which could in turn lead to a short partial government shutdown. However, top leaders of both parties have stressed that a shutdown will not happen. President Biden needs to sign the legislation before the midnight deadline on Friday to avoid any lapse in funding.
