US Congress passes stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown
(VOVWORLD) - The US Congress passed a stopgap funding bill late on Saturday with overwhelming Democratic support. The House voted 335-91 to fund the government through November 17., with more Democrats than Republicans supporting it.
 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at a press conference after the House's meeting in Washington DC. on September 29, 2023 (Photo; AFP/VNA) |
This bill proposed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will fund the government within 45 days, but does not include additional aid for Ukraine.
The bill was approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden late on September 30th before the 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT) deadline, thereby temporarily preventing the prospect of a partial government shutdown until mid-November.
A shutdown would mean that most of the government's employees would not get paid - whether they were working or not - and also would shutter a range of federal services, from National Parks to financial regulators.