JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:Congress was racing against the clock and the weather today to pass a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. SUMMERS: Both chambers passed the measure ahead of a winter storm headed for Washington, D.C., but there could still be a political storm ahead for House speaker Mike Johnson. And this comes after congressional leaders reached a bipartisan agreement for a top-line figure for a permanent yearlong spending plan - that is, how much they'll spend overall for the fiscal 2024 year. SUMMERS: I mean, Congress has been playing this temporary funding game for months and struggling to reach a full-year funding deal. As we know, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted for this last year - striking deals between his moderate wing and Democrats to keep the government open and also avoid financial calamity with the debt limit deal last year.

Source: CNN January 19, 2024 01:10 UTC