Emmanuel OchayiIn a dramatic turn of events on Capitol Hill, the US House of Representatives managed to avert a looming government shutdown by passing a stopgap funding bill with significant Democratic support.
The bill, which extends government funding for another 45 days, was overwhelmingly approved by a vote of 335-91, marking a surprising departure from earlier partisan tensions.
In a two-party system, like in the United States, bipartisan typically refers to any bill, act, resolution, or any other action of a political body in which both of the major political parties, Republicans and Democrats, are in agreement.
President Donald Trump in 2020 had to sign into law a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to address the shortage of agricultural inspectors who protect the nation’s food supply and agricultural industry at the border.
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The Protecting America’s Food & Agriculture Act of 2019 would ensure the safe and secure trade of agricultural goods across our nation’s borders by authorizing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire additional inspectors, support staff and canine teams to fully staff America’s airports, seaports, and land ports of entry.
Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to abandon the hardline demands of his party’s far-right members played a pivotal role in breaking the impasse. Originally, these party hardliners insisted that any funding bill must pass the House with exclusively Republican votes.
However, McCarthy’s change of heart defused the situation, preventing one of his own members from attempting to oust him from his leadership position.
With time ticking away to the midnight deadline (12.01 a.m. ET), the fate of the federal government hung in the balance. Unless the Democratic-majority Senate swiftly passes the bill and President Joe Biden signs it into law, the United States would face its fourth partial government shutdown in a decade.
Democrats hailed the outcome as a victory. House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries declared, “Extreme MAGA Republicans have lost, the American people have won.” Representative Don Beyer expressed relief that McCarthy had folded, allowing a last-minute bipartisan vote to prevent a disastrous shutdown.
The unexpected shift in McCarthy’s stance also garnered support from top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, who, despite his desire to avert a government shutdown, recommended a ‘no’ vote on the House bill.
Both the House and Senate versions of the bill offer 45 more days of government funding, lasting through mid-November, but they do not include additional aid for Ukraine in their provisions, a notable difference from the initial Senate proposal.
McCarthy brushed aside concerns about potential challenges to his leadership, stating, “I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try. And you know what? If I have to risk my job for standing up for the American public, I will do that.”
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