WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Facing intense pressure to avoid a government shutdown, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $1.1 trillion federal spending bill on Thursday, sending it to the Senate barely two hours before a midnight deadline.
The 219-206 vote followed a bruising day of arm-twisting by the White House after dozens of Democrats revolted over pro-Wall Street and campaign-finance riders in the bill, dramatically splitting with President Barack Obama over the legislation that funds most federal operations through September.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said immediately after the vote that his chamber will take up the must-pass legislation Friday.
The two chambers will therefore need to pass a short-term extension to keep government open beyond Thursday’s witching hour.
The spending package would fund most federal operations through Sept. 30, the end of the 2015 fiscal year.
The deal almost did not happen, forcing the White House and Obama, who came out in favor of the measure, into near-panic mode as they scrambled to get enough Democrats on board.
House Speaker John Boehner confidently said earlier in the day that he would have the votes, but he was forced to suspend proceedings in the House when he realized he was short, fueling a tense Capitol Hill showdown.
Progressive Democrats were furious over a clause buried deep in the 1,603-page bill that rolls back key financial regulations on Wall Street.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
