Congress passes short-term spending bill and avoids government shutdown before election

Four Georgia Republicans voted against the temporary funding measure that will keep government agencies afloat until Dec. 20
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, was one of four Georgia Republicans in the U.S. House to vote Wednesday against a temporary funding measure to avoid a shutdown of the federal government. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)

Credit: Nathan Posner for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Nathan Posner for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, was one of four Georgia Republicans in the U.S. House to vote Wednesday against a temporary funding measure to avoid a shutdown of the federal government. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House and Senate have passed a temporary funding measure that will keep government agencies afloat until Dec. 20.

The measure passed 341-82 with the support of all Democrats and more than half of Republicans. The Senate vote was 78-18, again with no Democrats opposed.

Four Georgia Republicans voted against the measure: U.S. Reps. Andrew Clyde, Mike Collins, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rich McCormick. The rest of Georgia’s delegation was in favor except for Rep. Drew Ferguson, who was not in attendance for the vote.

President Joe Biden is expected to sign the temporary funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, into law as soon as it reaches his desk.

The bill will mostly keep government agencies funded at current levels, avoiding an Oct. 1 shutdown that would have occurred if Congress did not work out an agreement on funding.

House Republicans had previously attempted to pass a different version of a continuing resolution that would have funded agencies for six months and included language requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote for federal elections. It failed after a handful of Republicans who oppose stopgap funding bills voted with Democrats against it.

Clyde, who represents northeast Georgia, criticized his fellow Republicans for not pushing for the voting measure.

“House Republicans should have used our leverage to send the funding battle into — hopefully — Republican territory and to ensure only Americans vote in our elections,” he said in a statement. “While I’m certainly disappointed that we ended up with business as usual, I look forward to combating the uniparty’s runaway spending and harmful policies when the funding fight resumes.”


HOW THEY VOTED

On H.R. 9747, legislation to temporarily fund the federal government and avoid a shutdown:

“Yes”

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock

U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta

U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia

U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton

U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta

U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta

“No”

U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome

U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee

Did not vote

U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-The Rock