The House failed Thursday night to pass a spending bill that would fund the federal government through mid-March, extend the Farm Bill for one year, suspend the debt ceiling for two years and provide new disaster aid.
Thursday’s vote on government spending
| answer | Democratic Party | republican party | total | Bar graph of total votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 172 | 174 | ||
| 197 | 38 | 235 |
Note: This bill required a two-thirds supermajority, with 273 of the 409 members voting for or against the bill, to pass. One Democratic lawmaker voted present. See below for a breakdown of each member’s votes.
The bill was considered under a special procedure that suspends the House’s regular rules, but requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass. Nearly all Democrats voted against it, as did many far-right lawmakers who oppose raising the debt ceiling without additional spending cuts. Congress must extend government funding by a Friday night deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
Congressional leaders, inspired by President-elect Donald Trump, were eager to follow the lead of some Republicans and develop a new plan. Trump and Elon Musk rejected another spending deal struck with Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrats. The agreement included several additional policy measures but did not mention a debt ceiling.
