WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed a six-month spending bill Thursday morning that staves off a potential government shutdown at the end of the month.
The bill keeps this year’s $85 billion in sequestration cuts in place, but details how those cuts should be applied, at least for a few departments — those of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security and Justice, and the Food and Drug Administration, National Science Foundation and NASA (More info here).
The House originally passed a short-term budget bill detailing those cuts only for Defense and Veterans Affairs, but the Senate included language for the additional departments and passed the bill on Wednesday. Both Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken voted for the bill.
Most of the opposition to the bill came from liberal Democrats objecting to the continued sequestration cuts, a group that includes Reps. Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison and Rick Nolan. A group of 27 conservative Republicans, including Rep. Michele Bachmann, also opposed the bill.
The bill funds the government through September and delays a congressional debate on federal spending until this summer at the earliest. The federal government will reach its maximum limit on debt in May, and Congress will need to raise that limit by August, possibly reviving the debt ceiling fight that consumed Washington in 2011.
Ryan budget passes
The House also passed a long-term GOP budget resolution on Thursday morning on a nearly party-line vote.
No Democrat voted for the bill, which seeks to balance the budget in 10 years through spending cuts, entitlement reform and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Ten Republicans opposed the legislation, but all three Minnesota Republicans voted yes.
The House defeated a variety of liberal and conservative alternative plans on Wednesday, including one from Ellison’s Congressional Progressive Caucus.
The Senate is expected to pass their budget resolution before leaving town this week — Congress goes on a two-week recess this weekend.
Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.