Congress Passes Short-Term Spending Bill to Avert a Shutdown

On Thursday, Congress passed a short-term spending bill in order to avert a government shutdown. The bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), will fund the government through December 3rd, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate a long-term spending package.

The passage of the CR comes after weeks of tense negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over government funding. Democrats had been pushing for additional funding for various programs, including disaster relief and Afghan refugee resettlement, while Republicans were seeking to limit spending in order to address the growing national debt.

In the end, both sides were able to come to a temporary agreement to keep the government running and avoid a shutdown. The CR passed with bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognizing the importance of keeping the government operational.

While the passage of the CR is a short-term solution, it does provide some relief for federal workers and contractors who would have been impacted by a shutdown. It also gives lawmakers more time to work out a long-term spending package that addresses the needs of the American people.

In a statement following the passage of the CR, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the bipartisan effort to keep the government running, saying, “This is a victory for the American people. We were able to come together and put aside our differences to do what is best for the country.”

Moving forward, lawmakers will need to continue working together to address the long-term funding needs of the government. With the deadline for the next spending bill approaching in December, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the government remains operational and able to meet the needs of the American people.

In the meantime, federal agencies will continue to operate under the short-term funding provided by the CR. While a government shutdown has been averted for now, lawmakers will need to remain vigilant in order to prevent any future disruptions to government services.