House passes bill to avert government shutdown after whirlwind funding fight
.svg.png)
SUMMARY
The House passed a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown just hours before the deadline, funding the government through March 14, 2025. The legislation, which passed 366-34-1, provides significant disaster relief and agricultural aid but excludes a debt ceiling increase. Instead, Republicans secured an agreement to raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion in 2025 in exchange for $2.5 trillion in spending cuts. The bill now heads to the Senate for approval. Key provisions include $29 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund, $2 billion for SBA disaster loans, and $20 billion in agricultural disaster aid, plus $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers. Lawmakers also allocated $12 billion for environmental disaster recovery under the EPA, Forest Service, and Interior Department. These measures respond to damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton and other 2024 disasters.
