House GOP passes stopgap funding bill ahead of shutdown deadline, setting up critical test for Senate

By Sarah Ferris, Morgan Rimmer, Ted Barrett, CNN

(CNN) — Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday corralled his oft-fractured House conference to pass a Republican plan to fund the government through November 21, as Congress scrambles to avert a looming shutdown.

The 217-212 vote to advance the seven-week stopgap bill now amplifies pressure on Senate Democrats to decide whether to back the measure — or stand by their vows to oppose it and risk a potential spending stalemate.

Friday marked the latest test of Johnson’s ability to keep his narrow Republican majority behind him – able to only lose two votes and still advance the bill to the Senate. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted against the bill, while Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine crossed to join Republicans in support of it.

The deadline is still over a week away, but Friday’s vote dramatically increases the likelihood of a funding lapse: Both GOP and Democratic leaders are insisting the other side needs to back off their stance but — so far — neither side is blinking. And both chambers could now leave Washington for the next week, or more, without a path forward.

As Republicans attempt to ratchet up pressure on Democrats, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise confirmed Thursday that, ahead of the vote, GOP leaders were weighing sending lawmakers back to their districts through October 1 if they passed the bill. House members were set to return on September 29, so recessing the chamber through the first of October would mean senators simply have to pass the House’s measure or let funding lapse at the end-of-month deadline.

Senate Democrats, meanwhile, struck an agreement with GOP leaders to vote Friday on competing funding bills – the Republican measure and a counterproposal from Democrats – after refusing to give the consent to leave for a recess scheduled for next week. Both are expected to fail.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN he will bring the GOP plan back to the floor and set up another vote “probably close” to the September 30 deadline. The move would essentially force Democrats to choose whether to accept the GOP plan or risk a prolonged shutdown.

Republicans have argued their bill to fund the government through November 20 is a “clean” continuing resolution, or CR, with only $30 million in extra security money for members of Congress and $58 million for security for the executive and judicial branches. It also includes a funding “fix” for DC, which would free up $1 billion of the city’s own money, adjusting a mistake in an earlier bill.

The Democratic bill, on the other hand, includes expensive health care changes, such as extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.

Republicans have argued it’s inappropriate to add that to a seven-week funding bill and those issues should be negotiated as part of a year-end funding bill. But Democratic leaders, under pressure from their base to fight President Donald Trump and the GOP majority, are eager to use their leverage in this fight.

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CNN’s Arlette Saenz, Nicky Robertson, Manu Raju and Ellis Kim contributed to this report.