Congress dodges government shutdown with last minute bipartisan agreement

A last-minute push on Saturday to pass a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) keeps the federal government funded for an additional 45 days, through November 17. Without an agreement the federal government would have shut down October 1.

Congress passed a stop-gap funding CR that basically maintains existing spending levels and, importantly for hard-hit communities, includes more funding for disaster relief. The CR does not include more funding for Ukraine, which had been a big sticking point in negotiations.

The stop-gap measure passed with bipartisan support – notably, it passed the House with support from a majority of Democrats despite Republicans holding a narrow majority. This likely means more drama in the House, as some members of the Republican caucus may challenge Speaker McCarthy alleging he went back on his commitments to them. The measure passed the Senate with a wider 88-9 vote.

Congress now has just 45 days to work out a longer-term agreement.