US Senate approves temporary funding bill to avoid govt shutdown

The US Senate voted early Saturday to approve a short-term measure aimed at avoiding a federal government shutdown before the November midterm election.

The Senate voted 90-6 to approve the bill that would fund most federal government operations at current levels through Dec 11.The vote came after hours of negotiations stretching into early Saturday and shortly before senators left Washington for their summer recess.

The bill includes a variety of exceptions that senators negotiated with the White House. Democrats secured language to ensure no money could be transferred to the Border Patrol, local media reported.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed its own short-term funding measure last month. The two chambers will have to resolve their differences before US President Donald Trump can sign it into law before current funding expires on Sept 30. It was unclear whether the bill could pass the House, though lawmakers there are also eager to avoid a shutdown fight before the Nov 3 congressional election.

Xinhua