WASHINGTON: The US Congress has passed a stopgap step to avert a damaging election-year government shutdown, extending funds for several key federal department past a weekend deadline, local media reported on Friday.
Five months into the financial year, the US Congress still has not passed the 12 bills that make up the budget of the federal government, which were facing deadlines of Friday night and March 8 to keep the lights on.
The Republican-led House of Representatives and Democratic Senate passed a short-term “continuing resolution” extending the deadline for the first 6 bills until March 8 and making March 22 the cut-off for the remaining six bills.
US Legislators Approve Stopgap Bill to Avert Govt Shutdown
Funds for agriculture, veterans’ programs, science, transport and housing had been due to run out first, possibly hitting food safety reviews, air traffic controllers’ pay and several other significant functions.
A shutdown would have come a week later — a day after Biden’s March 7 State of the Union address — leaving defense, Congress, border security, and many other departments unable to operate.
All but two Democrats in the House supported the bills to the current resolution but 97 Republicans opposed the move. It approved the upper chamber in a 77-13 vote and will now make its way to President Biden’s desk in time to keep the wheels of government turning.
In a statement, Biden said that this is a short-term fix — not a long-term resolution, calling on Republican lawmakers to approve full-year funding bills, new military aid for Ukraine, which has been stopped by conservative hardliners in the House of Representatives.
