The US Congress has passed a short-term funding bill to avert an impending government shutdown, extending the current funding levels through December 20. The move aims to prevent a shutdown just weeks before the upcoming elections, setting the stage for another budget debate three months from now.
The Senate voted 78-18 in favor of the bill on Wednesday evening, following the House of Representatives’ approval with a 341-82 vote. Notably, all opposition to the bill came from Republicans, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
This temporary funding package was negotiated between House Speaker Mike Johnson and leading Democrats. It includes an additional $231 million allocated to the Secret Service, aimed at bolstering the agency’s resources for the upcoming presidential campaign. The increased funding follows two alleged assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, who is a Republican presidential candidate.
Despite Trump’s public calls for congressional Republicans to shut down the government unless they pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, Speaker Johnson and other key Republican leaders argued that forcing a shutdown just before Election Day would be politically harmful to their party.
The bill now heads to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it into law before the current government funding expires on September 30, when the fiscal year ends.
Both chambers of Congress are set to adjourn for an extended recess this week, allowing lawmakers to return to their home states to campaign for re-elections ahead of the November 5 election.
