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The Senate has to act on the bill before midnight, or else the federal agencies will start shutting down.
US Capitol (AP Image)
The US House of Representatives passed a funding bill just hours before the midnight deadline and managed to avoid a government shutdown at the last minute on Friday.
Democrats and Republicans advanced the bill by coming together to approve the plan, which will keep the government running until mid-March.
The Senate now has to act before midnight (0500 GMT). In case they don’t, the federal agencies will start shutting down.
Although the House is run by the Republicans who brought the bill, 34 of their backbenchers voted against it, whereas almost every Democrat was a yes.
“Today, Democrats stood firm in our commitment to collaboration, not division. The American people deserve a government that works for them,” senior Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson posted on X.
If senators don’t follow suit and decide to drag their feet, the government will still cease to be funded at midnight, and non-essential operations will start to grind to a halt, with up to 875,000 workers furloughed and 1.4 million more required to work without pay.
(With AFP inputs)
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)