House GOP proposes funding bill to prevent shutdown

House Republican leaders have introduced a stopgap funding bill to keep the government running at current levels until September 2025. The bill includes a $6 billion increase in defense spending but cuts non-defense spending by $13 billion. The proposal also allocates $6 billion for veterans' healthcare and includes significant cuts to IRS enforcement. It lacks emergency funding for disasters and community projects, and funding levels are lower than those agreed upon in a previous bipartisan deal. Speaker Mike Johnson plans to hold a House vote on the bill Tuesday, but it faces opposition from Democrats. With a slim majority, Republicans need nearly unanimous support to pass the measure before the March 14 deadline.