The Senate voted to pass a continuing resolution (CR) on Thursday to prevent a government shutdown just days before the government would run out of money.
The CR will fund the government from Nov. 21 to Dec. 20. The vote was 74-20. The current spending bill expires at 11:59:59 pm ET Thursday. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have continued to be split over President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall funding, which was not included in this CR.
Democratic leadership in the House put together a spending package in September and gave it to members less than 24 hours before the Democrat-controlled House planned to vote on the legislation. (RELATED: House Democratic Leadership Unveils Last-Minute Spending Package)
From left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and John Thune, R-S.D. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The situation is very similar to the shutdown before Christmas in 2018, when House leadership passed a continuing resolution earlier in 2018 and moved appropriations until the holiday season. The House Freedom Caucus then convinced President Donald Trump to hold out over wall funding, starting the longest shutdown in recent history which lasted until January of 2019. (RELATED: House Dems Release Plan To End Shutdown — No Wall Included)
Trump is expected to sign the CR, which will keep the government from a shutdown until another agreement can be made.