WASHINGTON — With just hours to spare, Congress easily approved a short-term spending bill Friday that would prevent a partial federal shutdown over the weekend. But on President Donald Trump's 99th day in office, lawmakers were leaving until next week without completing two other measures he's coveted: a Republican health care overhaul and a budget financing government for the entire year.
The Senate sent the temporary spending measure to Trump by voice vote after the House approved it by a lopsided 382-30 vote. The bill keeps the government functioning through next Friday, which leaders hope will give bipartisan bargainers enough time to finish a $1 trillion package financing government through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.
But Trump was destined to serve his 100th day in office — Saturday — without being able to claim victories on health care and a yearlong budget.
The White House had pressured GOP leaders to push legislation replacing President Barack Obama's health care law through the House this week. But late Thursday, House leaders abandoned that effort for now after falling short of the votes they would need for passage.
"As soon as we have the votes, we'll vote on it," House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters.
Minority Democrats had threatened to withhold support for the temporary spending bill unless there was a bipartisan deal on the long-term $1 trillion measure. But they voted for it anyway, citing expectations that disagreements would be resolved.
Most core decisions about agency budgets have been worked out, but unrelated policy issues — such as a Democratic request to help the cash-strapped government of Puerto Rico with its Medicaid burden — are among the holdups.
The bipartisan budget talks had progressed smoothly after the White House dropped a threat to withhold payments that help lower-income Americans pay their medical bills and Trump abandoned a demand for money for a border wall with Mexico.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.