US Congress strikes a last-minute compromise to avert a government shutdown

 US Congress strikes a last-minute compromise to avert a government shutdown

After the House and Senate reached an agreement on a short-term funding arrangement, the US government was spared a federal shutdown.

By 88 votes to nine, the Senate passed a plan that funds the government through November 17 but does not provide any new funding for Ukraine.

Just before the deadline at midnight, President Joe Biden gave his signature to make it law.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy put forth the plan as he resisted a rebellion by hard-liners in his own party.

The start of a shutdown, which would put tens of thousands of federal workers on unpaid leave and stop some government operations, was set for Sunday at 00:01 ET (04:01 GMT).

On Saturday afternoon, however, House Republicans made a dramatic about-face and rushed to adopt a temporary financing plan that would keep the government open until mid-November while making no significant cuts to spending levels.

Democrats supported it more than Republicans did, with up to 90 Republicans voting against it.

A tiny group of right-wing Republicans who had been impeding talks in the chamber with their adamant demands for expenditure cuts were dealt a setback by the decision.

However, one of the faction's main demands - no additional US money for Ukraine's defense against its invasion by Russia - is reflected in the bill since a majority of members are eager to avoid a shutdown.

President Joe Biden asked Speaker Kevin McCarthy to permit a new financial agreement for Ukraine to pass immediately in a statement issued shortly after the Senate decision, in which he said "extreme House Republicans" had attempted to create a "manufactured crisis".

He declared, "We cannot, under any circumstances, allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted."

Democrats' Chuck Schumer stated that once the agreement was reached, "Americans can breathe a sigh of relief" and that the "extreme, nasty and harmful" budget cutbacks that certain Republicans had sought to enact had been avoided.

But he emphasized that this was not the "final destination" and assured Kyiv that plans for further cash for Ukraine had not been shelved, saying, "We will not stop fighting for more support for Ukraine."

Senior senators from both parties, including minority leader Mitch McConnell, took an uncommon step and issued a joint statement in which they expressed their desire to "ensure the US government continues to provide" aid for Ukraine in the coming days.

It happened when Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat who supports more assistance for Kiev, halted Saturday's proceedings in protest at the agreement's lack of guarantees for Ukraine.

What occurs when the US government is closed?

When the roughly 30% of federal spending that both chambers of Congress must authorize prior to the beginning of each fiscal year on October 1st, shutdowns take place.

Any funding proposal needs support from both parties because Republicans have a tenuous grasp on the House majority and Democrats control the Senate by just one member.

Right-wing rebels have repeatedly obstructed attempts to enact spending legislation in the House in recent weeks.

Even though long-term spending proposals containing agency-specific savings have no chance of passing the Senate, the group has opposed short-term budget measures and pushed for making cutbacks by passing them.

Considering that doing so would infuriate these hard-line conservative members of his party, Mr. McCarthy has been particularly hesitant to rely on Democratic votes until the very last minute to pass the House's bill.

As there are still significant differences between Republicans and Democrats on the size of the government and its programs, as well as among Republicans, this drama is likely to be played out again in less than seven weeks.

Hard-line conservatives in the House and Florida congressman Matt Gaetz must make a choice in the interim.

A so-called motion to vacate would be used to try to remove the Speaker from his leadership post if Mr. McCarthy's choice to depend on Democratic votes to pass the short-term plan crossed a red line.

McCarthy urged anyone who disagree with him to "bring it" during his news conference on Saturday, adding, "There has to be an adult in the room."

The coming days will show whether Mr. Gaetz and company were threatening seriously or merely playing a bluff.