Senate leaders agree on short-term government spending bill to avert weekend shutdown
Sept. 26 (UPI) -- In an effort to avert a looming government shutdown this weekend, Senate leaders agreed Tuesday to a short-term spending bill that would fund the government at current levels through Nov. 17.
The Senate is expected to vote on the stopgap spending measure Tuesday night to advance it to the House, where Republicans are at odds with Democrats over spending.
"The Senate's bipartisan continuing resolution is a bridge away from extremism and towards cooperation, to spare American families the pain of a shutdown, and to allow us to keep working to fully fund the federal government," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote Tuesday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Under the chamber's rules, all 100 senators will have to agree to a fast passage of the bill in order to achieve a final vote before Sunday's deadline. A procedural vote Tuesday to advance the bipartisan stopgap bill was 77 to 19.
"Senate Democrats and Republicans, together, worked in good faith to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution that will keep the government open beyond Sept. 30," Schumer said Tuesday on the Senate floor, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., appeared to be in agreement, calling the bill a "standard, responsible step forward."
"The sooner Congress keeps the lights on, the sooner these conversations can resume," McConnell added.
The temporary spending bill, which provides no additional funding for the border, would provide roughly $6 billion for Ukraine and another $6 billion for disaster aid to cover damage from Florida's hurricane and Maui's wildfires.
"We can and must do more to respond to disasters that have ravaged our country," Schumer said. "We can and must do more to stand with our friends in Ukraine."
The measure would also extend the Federal Aviation Administration's expiring authority.
Republican hardliners have threatened to oust Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy if he works with Democrats to keep the government running.
Following word of the Senate's short-term spending bill Tuesday night, McCarthy responded, saying "House Republicans are fighting to cut wasteful spending, secure our border, and hold the Biden Administration accountable."
