In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, the US Congress passed a stopgap funding bill on Thursday to ensure the continued operation of federal agencies for an additional six weeks, preventing a potentially harmful government shutdown.
As the deadline approached, the House concurred to extend funding until at least March 1, aligning with a resolution that had previously received approval in the Senate. The move aims to avert any disruption in government functions as the clock ticked towards the midnight deadline on Friday into Saturday.
This grants lawmakers a little over a month to conclude the development of a series of 2024 appropriations bills within the framework of a $1.6 trillion spending plan. This comprehensive plan had received bipartisan agreement from leaders earlier in the month.
The federal government has been operating under a continuing resolution, extending the fiscal year 2023 budget. This extension was implemented after both chambers of Congress passed two stopgap measures in late September due to a failure to reach an agreement on the fiscal year 2024 budget.
The first resolution maintained government funding until mid-November, and a second extended the funding until January 19 for most federal agencies and until February 2 for others.
Recent discussions have centered around additional funding for southern border controls. Some House GOP members have threatened a government shutdown if the resolution does not incorporate heightened border measures. Notably, President Biden has proposed allocating border funding as part of a $106 billion funding request for Israel and Ukraine.
