US Senate passes stopgap funding bill to avoid shutdown before elections

The Republican-led US Senate on Saturday approved a temporary funding measure that would keep federal agencies operational through December 11. The move is aimed at preventing a government shutdown just weeks before the November midterm elections.

The House of Representatives passed its own short-term funding legislation last month. The two chambers must now reconcile their versions before the bill can be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature. Current federal funding is set to expire on September 30, less than five weeks before the November 3 congressional elections.

Democrats noted that the Senate version, unlike the House bill, would restrict the Trump administration's ability to shift funds from other programs to border security. The Senate measure also includes provisions allowing adjustments to housing and food assistance programs.

Additionally, the legislation would temporarily prevent the White House budget office from implementing a new rule that would give political appointees authority over hundreds of billions of dollars in grant money.