House passes stopgap funding measure one day before deadline

(Image credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

published 7 December 2017

The House on Thursday passed a stopgap measure to fund the federal government through Dec. 22. The measure passed 235-193, with 18 Republicans opposing and 14 Democrats supporting, and will now move to the Senate.

The so-called "continuing resolution" would allow lawmakers two more weeks to come up with a long-term solution; a first deadline for federal funding would have elapsed Friday. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that Democrats don't want to force a government shutdown, but could not support the stopgap measure because it did not address domestic issues like the legal status of young undocumented immigrants and opioid crisis relief. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said the bill amounted to "keeping the government going while we negotiate the final details."

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced Thursday that there would be no votes in the lower chamber Friday. Instead, the House will be in session the week of Dec. 18; it was originally scheduled to adjourn for the holidays on Dec. 14.