Government shutdown live updates: Spending bill passes Senate and goes to Biden for approval
Preparations to close government agencies called off as president set to sign new legislation
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Your support makes all the difference.The US Congress has passed a spending legislation that will avert a destabilising government shutdown ahead of the busy holiday travel season.
The Senate, controlled by the Democrats, passed the bill by a 85-11 vote to continue government funding 38 minutes after it expired at midnight (5am GMT Saturday).
The bill will now be sent to the White House, where president Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law.Federal funding was about to run out at midnight on Friday and the White House Office of Management and Budget warned government agencies to prepare for the worst before the vote took place.
The late-night vote in the Senate capped a frantic week that saw president-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk defeat an initial bipartisan deal, throwing Congress into disarray.
The final version stripped out some provisions championed by the Democrats, who accused the Republicans of caving in to pressure from an unelected billionaire with no experience in government.
The package had earlier cleared the House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans, with bipartisan support.
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Democratic senator slams Musk’s influence amid government spending debacle
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told CNN Friday that the Republican House funding plan “may not pass the House because all it takes is one tweet from a billionaire 15 minutes from now and House Republicans will go running for the hills. Musk and Ramaswamy are in charge of our government right now it seems.”
Republicans discuss possible funding options in conference meeting
Famed podcaster Kara Swisher pitching ‘long-shot’ bid to buy Washington Post from Jeff Bezos
Tech podcaster Kara Swisher told Axios this week that she is attempting to round up a group of wealthy investors to put together a bid to purchase The Washington Post amid its ongoing turmoil under Jeff Bezos’ ownership.
Even though Bezos has not expressed any willingness or interest in selling the paper, Swisher believes that the ultra-rich Amazon founder will look to unload the Post due to the compounding headaches swirling around the outlet – many of which lie at the mega-billionaire’s feet.
Read more:
Tech podcaster pitching ‘long-shot’ bid to buy Washington Post from Jeff Bezos
“The Post can do better,” Kara Swisher told Axios. “It’s so maddening to see what's happening. ... Why not me? Why not any of us?”
Trump urges shutdown sooner rather than later
If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under “TRUMP.”
This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!
VOICES: Peter Mandelson is a gamble as US ambassador – but exactly what Trump needs
One of the hardest things about being the British ambassador to Washington is giving it up at the end of your term.
You are living in one of the finest private addresses in DC – the only Lutyens built house in North America – with its fabulous art collection, swimming pool, tennis court and hot and cold running servants; with your chauffeur driven Bentley, manicured gardens – and you’re right next door to the vice president’s official residence on Massachusetts Avenue. Trading that for your semi in Balham, or wherever your civil service salary has allowed you to buy, is quite the readjustment.
And our embassy in DC has just been totally refurbished at a cost of tens of millions of pounds. Yes, there can still be a bit of a sewery smell on the lower ground floor, and the fireplace in the drawing room when lit invariably smokes out the whole house so that guests have to retreat to the terrace. But these are small details.
Read more:
Peter Mandelson is a gamble as US ambassador – but exactly what Trump needs
Tony Blair may think being in charge of the British embassy in Washington is like running an up market B&B, writes Jon Sopel. But with Trump back in charge, the job has never been more important or more difficult – and Mandelson is a class act
‘Trump can sit on Truth Social all day. That didn’t persuade 38 members of Congress'
How a government shutdown could impact your holiday plans
A partial government shutdown is looming over the United States right before the holidays due to disagreements over a spending bill in Congress and lawmakers have until Friday night to figure it out.
If a spending bill finally does pass, federal agencies would be funded until mid-March.
But if it reaches midnight and there is still no deal, some federal services will be temporarily sidelined or federal workers will go unpaid.
Here’s Ariana Baio on how a government shutdown could impact Americans’ holiday plans.
How a government shutdown could impact your holiday plans
Lawmakers have until midnight Friday to pass a bill or risk shutting down the government before they embark on a 16-day break
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