The House of Representatives avoids a government shutdown amid Republican criticism of Speaker Johnson

The House of Representatives once again avoided a government shutdown by voting in favor of an extension of short-term government funding in a bill known as a continuing resolution (CR), which passed thanks to a three-thirds vote that divided the Republican majority.

In total, the CR was approved by 314 votes to 108. 107 Republicans voted in favor of its approval, while 106 were opposed. Many of them are hardline Republicans who had severely criticized the speaker, Mike Johnson, for having pushed for a new extension of government funding with the support of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat.

The urgency to approve another CR arises as legislators agree to present a fiscal spending bill for 2024.

Johnson, before being elected House Speaker, had promised to end votes to extend short-term funding, but lawmakers need more time to agree on a spending bill that, for now, remains deeply stalled.

Precisely, the vote of a CR prompted the most conservative wing of the GOP to present a motion of no confidence against the former speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.

Negotiations between Democrats and Republicans are so complicated that the Government has been implementing a series of continuing resolutions since October 1 to avoid the partial closure of the various federal agencies.

Before the CR passed to the House, the Senate had voted earlier in favor of the bill with 68 votes in favor and 13 against. The measure will be on President Joe Biden's table before the January 19 deadline, which would be delayed until March 1.

The bill was voted on under a suspension of the rules, meaning it does not need a procedural vote but requires two-thirds support from House lawmakers for final passage rather than just a simple majority.

According to The Wall Street Journal, despite achieving a partial government shutdown, the new CR "does nothing to alleviate underlying political pressures stemming from high U.S. debt levels, record crossings at the southern border and an enduring war in Ukraine."