US Senate Passes Short-Term Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown
The U.S. Senate, with a Democratic majority, approved a short-term stopgap spending bill on Thursday, effectively averting a partial government shutdown, Excel Magazine International reports.
The bill received bipartisan support with a 77-13 vote and will now move to President Joe Biden’s desk for final approval.
This measure sets deadlines for funding parts of the government, with one portion due by March 8 and the other by March 22.
President Biden welcomed the passage of the bill, emphasizing its importance in avoiding a damaging shutdown but noting that it offers only a short-term solution.
Earlier in the day, the House of Representatives, led by Democrats, joined by a significant number of Republicans, voted 320-99 to support the measure, providing Congress with additional time to negotiate funding for the full fiscal year, which began on October 1.
The agreement on a $1.59 trillion discretionary spending level for the fiscal year was reached about two months ago between Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
However, Johnson faced challenges within his own party, relying on procedural maneuvers to secure support from Democrats for the stopgap spending bill.
