In a dramatic eleventh-hour twist, the United States House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly, 335 to 91, in favor of a 45-day extension of federal funding.
The fate of the bill now hangs in the balance as it heads to the Senate, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the nation’s finances.
However, the broad bipartisan support in the House has increased pressure on senators to accept the stopgap measure and avert a potentially disastrous government shutdown.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who had steadfastly refused to consider any spending bill requiring Democratic support for weeks, performed a political about-face.
The bill not only extends federal funding but also grants an extension of authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration until the end of the year and allocates $16 billion for emergency disaster assistance as requested by the White House.
Notably, it does not include any funding for Ukraine, a contentious issue that has polarized lawmakers.
The Senate’s stance on the bill remains uncertain, as the Senate was poised to vote on its bipartisan funding proposal at the same time as the House.
