The US House of Representatives has passed a new temporary spending bill to avoid the possibility of a government shutdown until early next year. The bill will soon go to a Senate vote.
Congress passed an earlier stopgap spending bill on September 30, just a day before the beginning of the new fiscal year. Lawmakers had struggled to close gaps on issues such as the scale of the budget and assistance for Ukraine. There were differences between the ruling Democratic and the opposition Republican parties, and also disagreements among Republicans.
The earlier bill is set to expire on Friday. The House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted the new bill, drafted by the Republican Party, by majority vote.
The bill will secure part of the budget until January 19 and the rest until February 2.
Some Republican hardliners opposed it, saying the bill does not include a drastic cut in spending. But it won bipartisan approval as most of Democrats voted in favor.
Democratic leaders in the Senate are poised to support the new bill. Observers say a government shutdown will likely be avoided because of the support from the Democratic Party, which controls the chamber.