The House of Representatives approved March 15 yet another short term spending bill, one that would make $6 billion worth of cuts but otherwise keep the federal government funded through April 8.

The stop-gap measure currently funding the federal government expires on midnight of March 18; Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle have said they will approve this latest continuing resolution.

"A government shutdown is not an option, period," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) when introducing the bill.

The House vote proved more contentious than previous continuing resolution votes, with 54 Republicans declining to support the bill. Many political analysts have concluded that yet another attempt to pass a short-term spending bill would likely misfire, meaning that the Obama administration and Congress are faced with a final countdown period in which to reach agreement on funding for the rest of the federal fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

Among the cuts likely to be enacted in this latest continuing resolution are:

• $10.5 million from National Institute of Standards and Technology scientific and technical research and services (new total $504,500,000);
• $47 million from the NIST research facility construction fund (new total: $100,000,000);
• $99.3 million to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funds for operations, research and facilities (new total: $3,205,883,000);
• $18 million to the NOAA procurement, acquisition and construction fund (new total: $1,340,353,000);
• $20 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration facilities, planning and construction--which amounts to a zeroing out of that fund; and
• $15.65 million to National Archives and Records Administration funds for repairs and restoration of archives facilities (new total: $11,848,000).

For more:
- see the text of the latest continuing resolution, H.J. Res.48
- see how congressmen voted on the measure

Related Articles:
Senate rejects two continuing resolution proposals 
Government shutdown averted for another two weeks 
Republicans downplay possibility of government shutdown 
Congress funds government through winter