(House of Representatives)Congress passed a stopgap spending bill Thursday, averting a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday but pushing into January showdowns on spending, immigration, health care and national security. While many House Republicans burst into applause after passing the short-term spending measure, not everyone saw cause for celebration. [The tax bill is likely to become more popular after passage]If Congress doesn't pass a spending bill, the costly consequence would be a government shutdown. As a result, House Republican leaders were under major pressure to assemble enough GOP votes to pass a stopgap. The tax bill slashed revenue by nearly $1.5 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, adding to the federal deficit.

Source: Washington Post December 21, 2017 15:59 UTC