The devil in the detail: The continuous resolution that stalled a government shutdown

In the midst of a tense and chaotic week on Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives managed to pass a last-minute continuing resolution to avert a potentially disastrous government shutdown.

Key details of the successful CR include the omission of the contentious debt ceiling extension, which had been a major sticking point. Instead, the bill focused on essential funding to prevent a shutdown, including tens of billions of dollars in disaster relief.

This move was seen as a pragmatic step to avoid the severe consequences of a government shutdown, which would have resulted in the furlough of hundreds of thousands of federal employees, increased wait times at airports, and disruptions to critical public services.

In the end the vote was 366-34 in favor, with all opposition coming from Republicans. A new spending deal will need to be agreed in March when we will go through this whole rigmarole again. The legislation now heads to the Senate

What happened to the original proposal?

The larger proposal, which included a suspension of the debt ceiling until January 30, 2027, and extended government funding for three months, was met with fierce resistance.

The bill, described by GOP Rep. Chip Roy as a “1,547-page Christmas tree,” was criticized by Republicans for its extensive provisions, including disaster relief, health care policy extenders, and a pay raise for members of Congress. This is despite the fact that it was Republcians who broguth the bill to the floor.

This spending legislation failed to garner enough support, with 38 Republicans and all Democrats opposing it due to its inclusion of a debt ceiling extension.

The subsequent days saw intense negotiations and multiple failed proposals. House Speaker Mike Johnson and his team scrambled to devise a new strategy that could pass both the House and the Senate before the midnight deadline on Friday.

Johnson’s position as speaker is now at risk with the influential Freedom Causus said to be plotting his unseating.

“With such a narrow majority, he has done good a job and survived longer than expected until this huge miscalculation on the (bill),” said Ron Bonjean, a Republican consultant speaking to Reuters. “However, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else being successful in this position with an ungovernable conference and little room to navigate with such a divided Hose.”

The final bill’s passage in the House marks a temporary resolution, shifting the focus to the Senate where it was expected to pass with only hours remaining before the shutdown deadline.

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