Congress Approves Bill to Avert Government Shutdown Ahead of Holiday Break

The U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan spending package early Saturday to keep the federal government funded and avoid a disruptive shutdown.

House legislators had come to an agreement on a budget extension just before the government shutdown deadline Friday. The bill is expected to keep the federal government funded through March, when Republicans will control the White House and both chambers of Congress. Shutdowns typically occur when one party controls the White House and the other the Senate or the House of Representatives as they use the talks to bargain across the aisle.

The bill, which is expected to be signed by President Biden Saturday, will avert a federal shutdown that would disrupt crucial government services and affect the U.S. economy.

By law, the federal government's budget is due before the beginning of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. However, lawmakers passed temporary measures extending the deadline to Dec. 20 to allow time for both parties to agree on how Congress should spend its money. This has become commonplace in recent decades; budget bills have been on time only four times since 1977, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit research organization.

This time, lawmakers were scrambling to meet the deadline despite seemingly agreeing on a budget deal last week. On Tuesday, congressional leaders said they had come to a compromise that would extend government funding through March. However, President-elect Donald Trump and his newly appointed budget advisor, Elon Musk, made statements on social media Thursday that criticized the deal, causing Republicans to pull back.

The new bill passed without a debt ceiling extension, a provision Trump had specifically called for in his call to lawmakers.

UPDATE—Dec. 21, 2024: This article has been updated to reflect the Senate’s approval of the bill.

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