A House Democrat defended his decision Tuesday evening to vote in favor of a GOP-led stopgap bill that narrowly passed and would fund the government until October and avert a potential government shutdown.
The final vote on the bill legislation took place at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. The legislation keeps federal agencies funded through Sept. 30 and increases defense spending by $6 billion. It additionally would reduce non-defense spending by $13 billion compared to the 2024 budget year.
The bill had one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, vote in favor. Just one Republican voted against the bill as well, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).
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Golden said he voted in favor of the bill to "avoid a harmful government shutdown," according to a statement obtained by Notus reporter Reese Gorman.
"Without a new spending agreement in place, government funding is scheduled to lapse on March 14. In a shutdown, the president would have broad discretion to halt government services and furlough federal employees, his office said in a news release.
In a statement Golden said, "This CR is not perfect, but a shutdown would be worse."
"Even a brief shutdown would introduce even more chaos and uncertainty at a time when our country can ill-afford it. Funding the government is our most basic obligation as members of Congress. My vote today reflects my commitment to making tough choices and doing my job for the people of Maine," said Golden.
