The U.S. Senate voted 88-9 on Saturday to pass a temporary bill to fund the government, avoiding a federal shutdown for the next 45 days. The bill's passage came hours prior to the midnight deadline that would've cut off funding for federal agencies across the country.
The bill was introduced by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier in the day, and passed with bipartisan support in the lower chamber with a 335-91 vote. The bill will now head to President Biden to be signed into law.
The bill keeps the federal government funded through Nov. 17, and includes additional natural disaster funds for various states, including wildfire-ravaged Hawaii. A notable omission is the absence of additional funding for border security and Ukraine. The latter had previously been a key point of contention between Democrats and Republicans.
The funding of the government marks the end of a contentious period in Congress, particularly in the House, where in-fighting amongst Republican factions had largely brought negotiations to a standstill. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had attempted to pass a last-minute stopgap bill to appease the most conservative members of the House GOP, notably the far-right House Freedom Caucus. However, the far-right bloc of the House voted against the bill on Friday, and it appeared that a shutdown was inevitable.
However, Congress surprised the nation Saturday morning with news that the House had passed a funding bill. This appeared to stem mostly from a push by McCarthy, as the speaker "suddenly abandoned demands for steep spending cuts from his right flank and instead relied on Democrats to pass the bill," The Associated Press reported. This could put him at risk of facing a removal vote helmed by his Freedom Caucus opponents.
Congress now has until mid-November to reach a more permanent funding deal, although NBC News noted that this will still be "a towering challenge."
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