House passes $1.2T government spending bill to avert government shutdown

The House of Representatives narrowly passed a $1.2 trillion federal spending package along bipartisan lines on Friday, taking a step closer to averting a partial government shutdown at midnight.

The legislation was expedited onto the House floor via suspension of the rules, which bypasses procedural hurdles in exchange for raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority to two-thirds. It passed by a 286 to 134 vote.

More Republicans voted against the bill than for it – 112 GOP lawmakers opposed the bill and 106 voted for it. Just 22 Democrats voted against it.

HOUSE PASSES $460 BILLION GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL BLASTED BY GOP HARDLINERS

The package, comprised of six appropriations bills that account for roughly 70% of discretionary government spending, was unveiled around 3 a.m. on Thursday night. It is aimed at funding the government through the remainder of fiscal year 2024, which ends Sept. 30.

It puts Congress one step closer to ending a monthslong war that has spurred historic levels of dysfunction within the House GOP's razor-thin majority.

The bill is aimed at funding the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Education, Health & Human Services and the legislative branch.

Both Republican and Democratic negotiators walked away declaring victory on striking a deal – Johnson touted cuts to funding for non-governmental organizations, a 6% cut to overall foreign aid funds, and policies like banning the State Department from flying non-official flags at diplomatic facilities.

GOP HARDLINERS FURIOUS AT JOHNSON FOR PASSING ANOTHER SHORT-TERM SPENDING BILL WITH DEMS: 'USUAL C--P'

Democrats cheered the exclusion of enforcement measures of the House GOP’s H.R.2 border security bill – something conservatives demanded in