House passes massive government spending increase, Senate now will consider

House passes final funding bills 8 days before shutdown, Senate now will consider

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the final set of outstanding government funding bills as a partial federal government shutdown looms on Jan. 30.

The four bills account for the largest chunk of government spending, about $1.2 trillion in total. They would fund the departments of Defense; Health and Human Services; Homeland Security; Labor; Housing and Urban Development; Transportation; and Education.

The Homeland Security bill passed 220-207, while the other three cleared 341-88 as part of a package known as a “minibus.”

The bills represent the final quartet of 12 annual appropriations bills required to fund the government and avoid a partial shutdown on Jan. 30. The Senate still needs to approve them, along with two other House-passed funding bills, before they head to President Donald Trump’s desk for a signature.