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The continuing resolution and things that make you say hmmmm?

The House passed its version of S 311, the continuing resolution bill, Monday night. It now returns to the Senate for concurrence. A CR is needed because the new fiscal year begins on July 1 and budget writers in the House and Senate haven’t reached agreement on a new plan.

Background here.

The big philosophical difference between the House and Senate versions is one of timing. Senators wanted an open-ended CR with no end date. The Senate put a two-week limit on the CR, meaning it will expire on July 15.

When the bill comes back to the Senate Tuesday, Senators will either have to take the House version or there will have to be a quick negotiation to keep the government running.

The CR passed the House on two votes Monday night: 95-21 and then 93-23.

Rep. John Blust of Greensboro voted against both times. He said a provision added to the CR on the floor that raised tuition costs for community college students prompted him to vote against.

“I don’t know that I want to go back to struggling students … when I don’t think we’ve done everything we need to do to get our own fiscal house in order,” Blust said.

Note: two votes switched in the two minutes between second and third readings. They were Rep. Laura Wiley, a High Point Republican, and Rep. Dan Ingle, a Burlington Republican.

Wiley didn’t return a call Monday asking what in the two minutes between the two votes on the bill caused her to changer her mind.