House passes short-term CR; bill moves to Senate to avoid shutdown

The House, with a 326-96 vote, passed a continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded until April 29. The Senate will have to pass the measure Friday to avert a government shutdown.

The bill could face a more difficult path in the Senate, as some lawmakers like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who have vowed to take the measure into extended debate.

“It keeps the lights on in our government, preventing the uncertainty and harm of a government shutdown,” House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) said in a statement. “While I firmly believe a continuing resolution is no way to run a railroad, at this point, this is our best -- and only -- path forward. I commend the House for passing it today, and urge the Senate to send it to the President’s desk for his signature as soon as possible.”

The legislation includes special “anomalies” for several big-ticket defense programs, as well as a measure that would fast-track consideration of retired Marine Corps Gen. Jams Mattis to become the next defense secretary.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has criticized Congress for failing to pass a full-year appropriations package. In a Nov. 29 letter to lawmakers, Carter, who at the time feared the CR would extend into May, called the scenario “unprecedented.”

"We have never been governed by a continuing resolution during a presidential transition, nor have we had a CR for DOD that went as late as May," he wrote. “A short-term CR is bad enough, but a CR through May means DOD would have to operate under its constraints for two-thirds of the fiscal year. This is unprecedented and unacceptable, especially when we have so many troops operating in harm's way. I strongly urge Congress to reject this approach.”

Carter said the FY-17 budget requests funding for 57 new-start programs and 86 production increases, all of which would be delayed for the duration of a CR.

But the CR does grant “anomaly” status for the Air Force's KC-46 tanker; the Navy's Ohio-class replacement program; and allows the Army to enter into multiyear procurement contracts for the AH-64E and the UH-60M helicopters.