U.S. House clears $180B funding bills to avoid Jan. 30 shutdown

(The Center Square) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday cleared three nearly $180 billion government funding bills that will take a step toward preventing a federal government shutdown at the end of January.

The House passed the bills in a vote of 397-28 on Thursday.

The funding bills outline appropriations for the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and several others through Sept. 30.

The proposed appropriations received bipartisan approval in debate on the House floor Thursday. The proposals suggest trimming budgets for federal agencies while also providing increased funding for federal scientific research and law enforcement.

“The power of the purse is once again being exercised by lawmakers through the committee process as Article One intended,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.., said on the House floor Thursday.

In debate on the House floor, Democrats boas...