Illinois U.S. House delegation split on temporary spending plan; shutdown averted
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The U.S. House approved a temporary measure to fund the government Tuesday, keeping fears of a federal shutdown at-bay through the end of the year.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., led the stopgap receiving an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 336-95. Needing to move before funding expires midnight on Friday, the legislation is expected to clear the Senate and then head to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
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Johnson needed support from Democrats as more conservative members voted against it, like his predecessor former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. That split played out among 17 representatives — 14 Democrats and three Republicans — representing Illinois in the House.
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, was one of two Democrats voting against the continuing resolution and was joined by all Illinois GOP members in opposition. All remaining Illinois Democrats voted 'yes.'
No cuts to spending led to 'no' votes from Reps. Mary Miller, R-Oakland; and Darin LaHood, R-Peoria — Miller calling on zero funding to the Department of Education and World Health Organization. Quigley, who also voted against the prior stopgap measure, wanted more funding for Ukraine.
"My constituents that I represent have to meet a family budget every month, small businesses have to meet a budget every month," LaHood said on C-SPAN Wednesday. "The federal government hasn't been able to do that and we continue to add to our debt."
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, said in a statement that she voted in favor of the resolution due in-part to a one-year funding extension of the Farm Bill. The spending bill funds federal agriculture and food programs for five years will now continue through September 2024, the end of the fiscal year.
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Budzinski, who sits on the House Agriculture Committee, wants swift action on a new bill.
"We also owe it to family farmers across the country to get down to business on a bipartisan Farm Bill that feeds and fuels America, drives innovation and helps the next generation get into agriculture," she said. "I’ll keep pushing my colleagues to get the job done.”
Unlike its prior stopgap measure, this continuing resolution is broken down in two phases that funds part of the government – including public health, military construction, housing, transportation, agriculture and energy programs – until Jan. 19, with the rest funded through Feb. 2.
A government shutdown would have upended the lives of hundreds of thousands of federal employees, threatening furloughs and other slowdowns in government services.
Ken Tran and Riley Beggin of USA Today contributed.
Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: U.S. House passes continuing resolution; how Illinois reps voted
