Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
With the threat of a government shutdown looming, the House voted 217 to 213 on Tuesday to approve a short-term spending bill that provides funding to federal agencies until the end of September. With only one Democrat voting with Republicans to approve the bill, it is clear that it will need bipartisan support as the bill advances to the Senate. This spending bill slightly increases the Department of Defense and cuts funding from domestic programs including some healthcare and veteran programs. One Republican, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted no on the bill.
Most all the Republicans stuck together with extreme pressure from President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Both Trump and Vance view this legislation as a way to clear up time for Republicans to work on legislation that allows them to continue advancing their agenda. Many Democrats have said that the bill will serve only as a “blank check for Trump” who has been consistently unwilling to commit to spending money as Congress dictates.
