Senate Passes Stopgap Bill to Avert Shutdown, Avoiding Skirmish Before Midterms

The Senate voted 90-6 to pass a short-term funding bill, ensuring federal government operations continue until December 11. This continuing resolution (CR) aims to prevent a government shutdown before the upcoming midterm elections. The measure was passed early Saturday morning and sent to the House before a five-week recess. Both parties showed eagerness to avoid a messy spending fight, despite previous Republican haggling over a specific provision inserted by the White House.