House Rules committee advances budget resolution to floor vote

The House Rules Committee on Monday night advanced its funding bill in a 9-4 vote along party lines, setting the legislation up to be passed by the full chamber on Tuesday.

The vote comes after lawmakers on the committee spent hours debating the bill, which would need full Republican support to pass. The package passed the House Budget Committee earlier this month.

The Rules committee votes sets the legislation up for a scheduled procedural vote at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by a final vote at 6 p.m., according to the Washington Examiner.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole told reporters that his party is "very close" to securing the federal funding bill that will keep the government operating past next month's deadline. But the party can only afford to lose one vote on Tuesday, and some objections over potential cuts to Medicaid remain. 

The package includes $5 trillion in new spending including money for President Donald Trump's border security initiatives, and extends the president's 2017 tax cuts. The Senate has already passed a $340 billion funding bill that does not extend the tax cuts, and Trump has said he prefers the House's plan.

If the House version is passed, negotiators from each chamber will meet to try to draft a compromise bill that meets Trump's approval and can pass Congress.

Congress has until March 14 to get a final bill to Trump's desk before the federal government runs out of money to remain fully operational. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.