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Congress has approved a continuing resolution that will keep the federal government open until December 16, avoiding a looming government shutdown at midnight that allows lawmakers to go home for the entire month of October ahead of the elections in November. The temporary spending package was passed this afternoon by the House of Representatives by a vote of 230-201, after being approved by the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 72-25. The legislation also includes an additional $12.3 billion in aid for Ukraine, reauthorizes Federal and Drug Administration user fees through 2027, and provides $2 billion for natural disaster relief efforts. Earlier this week, a contentious energy permitting reform provision championed by Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) was removed from the spending bill after it became clear that it lacked support and could ultimately tank efforts to keep the government open.
When Congress returns after the elections in November, they will have just five weeks to negotiate the final details of a broader omnibus spending bill that will fund the government through fiscal year 2023. The political dynamics affecting the negotiations could change by then depending on the results of the election and whether Republicans take control of either the House or Senate.
President Biden is expected to sign the legislation into law in the next few hours. A summary of the bill can be found here, while the full legislative text can be found here.
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