US Congress approves bill to prevent shutdown, sends it to Biden

The US House of Representatives has approved a bill to fund the federal government until early March, preventing a partial shutdown. It has been sent to President Joe Biden for final approval.

As reported by Reuters, the bill received 314 votes in favour and 108 against, of which 106 were from Republicans and two from Democrats.

Mike Johnson, Republican House Speaker, may face criticism from hardline members of his party who oppose such temporary funding bills not accompanied by deep spending cuts.

Similar dissatisfaction led to the resignation of his predecessor Kevin McCarthy last autumn.

Earlier, a bill designed to prevent a shutdown of the federal government due to lack of funding was approved by the US Senate.

The bill, which had been agreed upon by both houses of the US Congress, was supported by 77 senators and opposed by 18.

The document outlines different terms of temporary funding for federal programmes: agriculture, veterans' programmes, transport, housing, etc. will be provided with funds until 1 March, with the rest, including the Pentagon budget, being funded until 8 March.

This extension – the second since the start of the current US fiscal year on 1 October 2023 – is intended to give Congress more time to agree on permanent federal funding, which totals US$1.66 trillion and is contained in 12 separate bills.

At the same time, US lawmakers are discussing whether to approve the White House's request for additional funding, which includes funding for Ukraine. It has been delayed in Congress since October due to Republican demands to strengthen the protection of the USA’s southern border.