US Congress avoids government shutdown in last-minute deal

The US government won't shut down, thanks to a last-minute agreement by Congress. Both the House and Senate approved a short-term funding deal that keeps the government running until November 17. This deal doesn't include new aid for Ukraine.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed the bill to avoid a shutdown. President Joe Biden signed it just before the midnight deadline. McCarthy faced resistance from some hard-line Republicans in his party.

If there had been a shutdown, many federal employees would be on unpaid leave, and government services would stop. The shutdown was set to start at 00:01 ET on Sunday.

On Saturday, House Republicans rushed to pass a temporary funding measure to keep the government open until mid-November. The bill made no major spending cuts and was supported by more Democrats than Republicans. About 90 Republicans voted against it.

A small group of right-wing Republicans, demanding spending cuts, didn't get their way. However, their demand to stop US funding for Ukraine's defense is reflected in the bill.

President Biden criticized "extreme House Republicans" for creating a "manufactured crisis." He urged Speaker McCarthy to quickly pass a funding deal for Ukraine, saying American support for Ukraine must continue without interruption.

After the deal passed, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said it avoided harmful budget cuts pushed by some Republicans. He emphasized that the agreement is not the final decision and promised to keep fighting for more support for Ukraine.

In an unusual move, Senate leaders from both parties, including Mitch McConnell, released a joint statement pledging continued support for Ukraine in the coming weeks.

Senator Michael Bennet protested the lack of guarantees for Ukraine in the deal. Shutdowns happen when Congress can't agree on federal spending before the fiscal year starts on October 1.

The current disagreement may repeat in less than seven weeks. Fundamental differences on spending levels and policies between Republicans and Democrats, and within Republicans, remain unresolved.

House Republicans, including Matt Gaetz, face a choice. McCarthy's decision to rely on Democratic votes could lead to an attempt to remove him from his leadership position. The coming days will show if this threat is real or just a bluff.