Averting a political embarrassment ahead of President Trumps 100th day in office, Congress on Friday approved a one-week spending measure that avoids a government shutdown, providing lawmakers with extra time to finish negotiations on a long-term spending package.
But House Republicans left the Capitol with their goal of voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act still eluding them and eluding Mr. Trump, who will conclude his first 100 days on Saturday without a marquee legislative achievement.
Instead, Republicans had to be satisfied on Friday with simply keeping the lights on.
The approval of the short-term spending measure, which occurred during daylight and without drama, was more a display of basic competence than a proud legislative accomplishment.
With unified control in Washington, Republicans could not afford to fail at the fundamental task of keeping the government funded. At the same time, the spending talks showed one way that Democrats can still exert influence even while in the minority.
Trump Is Said to Abandon Contentious Border Tax on Imports APRIL 25, 2017
The measure approved on Friday, known as a continuing resolution, sustains government operations at current funding levels through next Friday. By that point, congressional leaders hope to have passed a spending package that will cover the rest of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
A continuing resolution is never anyones first choice for funding the government, said Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, Republican of New Jersey and the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. However, this is our best path forward.
Democrats largely went along with the stopgap measure, though not without registering their complaints about the process.
I think its sad that were here at the last minute trying to kick the can down the road, said Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts. This could have been avoided.
The House approved the spending measure by a vote of 382 to 30, and the Senate gave its approval with a voice vote. Congressional leaders expressed optimism that an agreement on the longer-term spending package was within reach.
Some significant obstacles have already been removed from the path of the lawmakers hammering out the spending package which also minimized the risk of an impasse that could have led to a shutdown this weekend.
For one thing, Mr. Trump backed down from his demand that money be included for the wall he wants to build along the border with Mexico.
The White House also said it would continue to make subsidy payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act. That assurance satisfied Democrats who wanted the spending agreement to ensure that the subsidies which lower deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers would continue to be funded.
