Congress Strikes Deal on Stop-Gap Funding Through February

Congressional leaders struck a deal Thursday to fund the government through February, which serves as a victory for Republicans.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said in a statement that Republicans and Democrats struck a deal to fund the government using a continuing resolution (CR) through February 18.

A CR would keep government funding at the same levels, although it will include roughly $7 billion to support refugees from Afghanistan.

DeLauro and Democrats have pushed for a shorter-term deal, but Republicans wanted more time to strike a longer-term deal.

“While I wish it were earlier, this agreement allows the appropriations process to move forward toward a final funding agreement which addresses the needs of the American people,” she said in a statement.

A government shutdown will occur after midnight on Friday if Congress fails to pass the CR before then.

President Joe Biden and Congress struck a deal to fund the government on September 30 through December 3.

The deal follows as many House and Senate conservatives have led a movement to oppose the CR, wanting to use the potential government shutdown as leverage to block Biden’s vaccine movement.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has led the movement in the Senate, and he has the support of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Roger Marshall (R-KS).

These conservatives could also secure a 51-vote amendment to the CR to block the vaccine mandate as an alternative means of stopping the Biden mandate.

Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) has also led a movement to use a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to block the measure; the vote on the CRA resolution is expected to happen next week. A CRA requires only a simple majority in both chambers of Congress.

The House Freedom Caucus said Wednesday that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) should “deny timely passage of the CR unless it prohibits —in all respects — for the vaccine mandates.”

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.