Efforts to prevent a US government shutdown made significant progress, with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting a last-minute Republican proposal to extend federal funding for 45 days, even though it included a freeze on aid to Ukraine.
The House of Representatives approved the stopgap measure with a vote of 335-91, proposed by Speaker Kevin McCarthy just hours before the midnight shutdown deadline. This deal still requires approval from the Democrat-controlled Senate.
An administration official suggested that the White House would likely support the bill to keep the government open, with the expectation of reinstating Ukraine aid later.
The shutdown crisis was primarily caused by a small group of hardline Republicans who defied their party leadership to oppose various temporary funding proposals in their pursuit of deep spending cuts.
The agreement reached on Saturday could potentially cost McCarthy his position as speaker, as the hardliners threatened to remove him if a stopgap measure passed with Democrat support.
The proposed plan would maintain current government funding levels without the spending cuts favored by the hardliners, which Democrats rejected. However, the absence of assistance for Ukraine raises concerns.
Providing aid to Ukraine has been a significant policy priority for President Joe Biden’s administration in its fight against the Russian invasion. While the stopgap measure is temporary, it raises questions about the political feasibility of resuming the multibillion-dollar assistance flow.
The Democrat-controlled Senate had its own stopgap bill prepared for a vote later on Saturday, which included funding for Ukraine.
The potential government shutdown, set to begin after midnight, would have immediately delayed salaries for millions of federal employees and military personnel. It would also lead to the closure of many national parks, impacting public access and causing disruptions in various sectors, including the wider economy.
