By Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) – The US Senate and House of Representatives passed a two-step stopgap bill Thursday to prevent a partial government shutdown this weekend and to keep the government funded.
The Democratic-led House voted bipartisan 77 - 18 and the Republican majority House approved the bill 314 - 108 to send it to President Joe Biden to sign.
Since September, Congress has been grappling with reaching a consensus on full-year government funding bills, resulting in the introduction of the third temporary measure.
It comes after a bipartisan deal was reached between House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this month to extend the current spending bill.
The bill would prolong two government funding deadlines for agencies, shifting them from Jan. 19 to March 1 and from Feb. 2 to March 8.
The spending bill is separate from the ongoing negotiations concerning immigration and does not include additional aid for Israel or Ukraine.