The House of Representatives moved along a bipartisan 2-year budget deal on Wednesday, voting 266 to 167 to pass the measure that will suspend the debt limit while boosting domestic and defense spending. Days before handing over the speakership, Rep. John Boehner was able to rally 79 Republicans to join 187 Democrats in supporting the bill that, the New York Times notes, “averts a potentially devastating default by lifting the federal borrowing limit through March 2017, and it sharply reduces the risk of a government shutdown by setting clear spending targets for the next two years.”
The budget is expected to gain Senate approval, meeting Boehner’s goal of clearing the legislative path for Rep. Paul Ryan to take over as speaker. “The budget deal, reached in secret negotiations with Congressional Democrats and the White House, will increase federal spending by $80 billion over the next two years, and provide an additional $32 billion in funds for overseas operations by the Pentagon and State Department,” the New York Times reports.
“The agreement would essentially end the often contentious budget battles between congressional Republicans and President Obama by pushing the next round of fiscal decision making past the 2016 election when there will be a new Congress and White House occupant,” according to the Washington Post.
