Senate Approves Bill Finalizing Federal Government Funding

The U.S. Senate approved a "temporary" budget bill for the federal government just minutes after passing the "midnight deadline" to prevent a government shutdown. This budget bill funds the U.S. government until March. Senators voted 85 in favor and 11 against the bill. Earlier today, the House of Representatives passed this law after two previous attempts this week failed, including an effort by President-elect Donald Trump to include a debt ceiling in the negotiations, which required Senate approval to finalize. President Joe Biden has announced he will sign this bill and send lawmakers home for the holidays. The bill includes disaster relief and agricultural regulations but does not include the suspension of debt limits that President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has requested to be addressed. On Friday evening, the House of Representatives passed a bill to fund the federal government, a key step to prevent a government shutdown. This bill was approved with 366 votes in favor, 34 against, and one abstention. When the voting results were announced in the chamber, representatives reacted with joy. The Senate approved the federal budget; the budget is on the desk of the U.S. President. Agreement in the final minutes; the second budget package of the U.S. amounting to $1.2 trillion is being approved in the Senate. Approval of the $460 billion budget package in the U.S. Senate has alleviated the risk of a partial government shutdown. Approval of part of the federal government budget in the House of Representatives; with Senate approval, a partial shutdown is prevented. Congressional leaders in the U.S. agreed to prevent a partial government shutdown.