In a dramatic eleventh-hour twist, the United States House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly, 335 to 91, in favor of a 45-day extension of federal funding.
The fate of the bill now hangs in the balance as it heads to the Senate, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the nation’s finances.
However, the broad bipartisan support in the House has increased pressure on senators to accept the stopgap measure and avert a potentially disastrous government shutdown.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who had steadfastly refused to consider any spending bill requiring Democratic support for weeks, performed a political about-face.—INP