US Congress passed a stopgap appropriations bill to avert an Oct. 1 government
shutdown, funding the government through Dec. 11. The House approved the measure
370-48 after the Senate had already cleared it; the bill has been sent to
President Trump and has White House support. Lawmakers have passed none of the
12 annual appropriations for the new fiscal year, requiring this continuing
resolution. The measure postpones disputes over Pentagon budget increases and
Republican proposals to cut social programs until after the midterm elections.
House Republicans also plan to delay consideration of a separate $95bn Iran
emergency funding bill, and a proposal to add $350bn to the Pentagon’s base
budget has been pushed to the autumn.
