The US Senate narrowly avoided a partial government shutdown on Friday by approving spending legislation for various government agencies mere hours before the expiration of current funding.
With a bipartisan vote of 75-22, the Senate endorsed a $467.5 billion spending package to finance agriculture, transportation, housing, energy, veterans' affairs, and other programs until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The bill now awaits Democratic President Joe Biden's signature to become law.
Funding for these programs was set to lapse at midnight.
The vote marks a partial resolution to a prolonged and contentious battle over government spending, which at one juncture left the Republican-led House of Representatives without leadership for three weeks.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer remarked ahead of the vote, "To folks who worry that divided government means nothing ever gets done, this bipartisan package says otherwise."
Earlier in the week, the package sailed through the Republican-led House of Representatives. However, progress in the Senate was impeded as some conservative Republicans sought votes on immigration and other issues, all of which were unsuccessful.
Nonetheless, Congress still needs to negotiate a broader agreement on a comprehensive package of spending bills, encompassing military funding, homeland security, healthcare, and other essential services. Funding for these programs is set to expire on March 22.
Collectively, the two packages carry a price tag of $1.66 trillion. Ultra-conservative Republicans advocated for more significant spending cuts to address the $34.5 trillion national debt.
These measures were initially slated to be enacted into law by October 1, the commencement of the 2024 fiscal year. While Congress frequently misses this deadline, this year's deliberations have been notably tumultuous. Congress has thus far passed four interim funding bills to sustain agency operations at their previous year's levels.
Among the spending bills are earmarks totaling $241.3 million, requested by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. Her passing on September 29, 2023, two days before the commencement of the fiscal year, did not deter these allocations.
