House Passes 'Laddered' Spending Bill to Avert Shutdown in Bipartisan Vote

The House of Representatives passed a “laddered” continuing resolution on Tuesday to avert a government shutdown in a bipartisan vote.

Details: The vote passed 336-95, with the Republican-controlled chamber relying heavily on support from Democratic lawmakers, all but two of whom voted in favor. 127 Republicans voted against the resolution. The two-tiered plan will fund certain federal agencies through Jan. 19 and others through Feb. 2. This plan was deemed unconventional by outlets across the spectrum. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has expressed urgency in passing it before the end of the week.

Key Quotes: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the bill will “allow everybody to go home for a couple of days for Thanksgiving, everybody cool off.” Prior to the vote, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) signaled support for the bill, stating it meets Democratic demands and telling NPR (Lean Left bias) that Republicans have “repeatedly demonstrated that they cannot govern without House Democrats.” The Freedom Caucus released a statement against the bill, stating it contained “not a single meaningful win for the American people.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum noted the unique nature of the two-tiered bill and previewed the political battle expected to ensue over federal spending at the start of 2024. Republican division was noted heavily across the spectrum, with the Associated Press (Lean Left bias) stating that Johnson demonstrated his “willingness to leave his right-flank Republicans behind and work with Democrats.”