US Senate votes to keep government funded, avoid shutdown

The United States Senate voted on Thursday to pass the stopgap funding bill to ensure funds for the federal government and stave off a government shutdown. The final tally stood at 65-35.

The legislation will now make its way to the United States House of Representatives, which is expected to carry out the voting on Thursday before midnight. 

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, “This is a good outcome, one I’m happy we are getting done”, according to reports Associated Press. He added, “With so many things to take care of in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt.”

Also Read: A brief history of the US government shutdowns so far

The United States government would have shut down on September 30 at midnight in case Congress failed to pass the bill on Thursday.

However, the bill will fund the government for a short term, till early December. 

The stopgap bill has been a prospective funding measure, Democratic lawmaker Chuck Schumer announced a day before the voting. In a vote earlier this week, members of the Republican party blocked a legislation to fund the government with a near-split vote.

Also Read: Treasury Secretary warns US debt measures will exhaust by October 18

Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, are struggling over how to get President Joe Biden’s top domestic priorities over the finish line. There’s a bipartisan infrastructure bill that contains $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and other programs, as well as a $3.5 trillion package of social, health and environmental programs, according to reports from Associated Press.

The short-term spending legislation will also provide about $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those recovering from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, and help support Afghanistan evacuees from the 20-year war between the United States and the Taliban.