Congress passes stopgap spending bill to avert government shutdown

The House passed a standalone continuing resolution aimed at averting a government shutdown on Thursday, with the bill expected to be sent to President Biden’s desk before current funding expires at midnight. 

The vote was 254-175.

The Senate passed the measure 65-35 earlier in the day.

The stopgap bill includes language to keep the government funded through Dec. 3 in addition to disaster relief funding and funding to aid with the resettlement of Afghan refugees. 

Its passage comes after Senate Republicans blocked a House-passed short-term spending bill that included language to raise the debt ceiling, saying they will not support increasing the federal government’s borrowing limit as Democrats look to pass a sweeping, multitrillion-dollar social spending bill.