House, wary of shutdown before midterms, pushes budget talks to December

The House on Tuesday punted a potential government shutdown until after the midterm elections, passing a resolution to keep funding at current levels until Dec. 11. The vote was 370-48.“We’re tackling it early. We’re not waiting until the 11th hour,” Republican Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri said in an interview. Avoiding the pain of previous shutdowns, he added, “is good for both parties (and) the American people.”Congress usually doesn’t tackle funding the government until it absolutely has to. But Republicans and Democrats, whose budget impasses have already led to two shutdowns during President Donald Trump’s second term, have signaled they are far apart on budget priorities. With that in mind, Senate Republicans in August put off major priorities – such as Iran war funding and advancing a landmark cryptocurrency bill – to pass a funding bill about a month ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline. Why We Wrote This Government shutdowns are becoming more common. But the desire to avoid a potential impasse before the midterms motivated Congress to keep the government funded into early December. House members took up the bill, known as a continuing resolution, as one of their first priorities upon returning to Washington this week, passing it with a two-thirds majority. The president is expected to sign the resolution.Republican Rep. John McGuire of Virginia and Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts both said the vote gets the parties past the elections and buys time to grapple with budget talks.“Nobody wants to see long lines at TSA,” said Representative McGuire, referring to the Transportation Security Administration.The early action underscores how the growing frequency of shutdown fights is driving changes in how Capitol Hill operates when it comes to one of its most important functions each year: funding the government.Congress must pass a budget by the end of September – and shutdowns, when they happen, often take place in October. This year, Republicans in particular appeared wary of a potential shutdown the month before elections that could put Democrats in control of at least one chamber. Analysts say Democrats are favored to retake the House and have a real chance in the Senate.Lengthy government shutdowns are becoming more common. In 2013, during the Barack Obama presidency, the government shut down for 16 days. The first Trump administration saw a then-record 35-day stoppage, which was exceeded by a 43-day shutdown last year.