On Saturday, the US House of Representatives adopted an emergency funding measure that constitutes an essential stage to avoid paralysis of the federal administration a few hours before the shutdown is due.
The US House of Representatives approved a temporary funding bill on Saturday with overwhelming support from Democrats after Speaker Kevin McCarthy backed down from implementing a previous demand by hard-liners in the Republican Party to pass the bill with Republican votes only.
There is little time left to avoid the fourth partial shutdown of the federal government in 10 years, which will begin at 12:01 a.m. (0401 GMT) on Sunday unless the bill passes the Democratic-majority Senate and is signed into law by President Joe Biden. right on time.
McCarthy, a Republican, abandoned the insistence of party hardliners earlier that any bill be passed solely through Republican votes, a change that could prompt a far-right party member to try to oust him from his leadership role.
The House of Representatives supported funding the government for another 45 days by a majority of 335 votes to 91, and the matter received the support of more Democratic representatives than Republicans.
The vote represents a major shift in the situation from days ago, when a lockdown seemed inevitable.
Democrats see it as a win
About 209 Democrats supported the bill, far more than the 126 Republicans who approved it. Democrats called the result a win.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters ahead of the vote, “The extremist Republicans lost... and the American people won.”
McCarthy's shift in position was supported by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who earlier backed a similar measure that the Senate would hold a potential vote on and has broad bipartisan support, even though the House bill dropped aid to Ukraine.
The bill provides another 45 days of funding to the federal government, enough to last through mid-November, but does not provide additional money to help Ukraine fight the Russian invasion.
McCarthy played down fears that hardline Republicans would try to oust him.
But he told reporters, "If I have to risk my job to defend the American people, I will do it."
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