Members of Congress managed to narrowly avert a government shutdown by passing a short-term stopgap measure only hours before federal funding was set to expire.
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On Saturday afternoon, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a proposal to fund the federal government at existing levels for 45 days, along with additional funds for domestic disaster relief—notably, the stopgap measure excluded additional funds for Ukraine and border security.
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The House bill passed with a vote of 335-91, with 90 Republicans voting against the measure.
The bill faced some opposition from Democratic Senators who emphasized the need to fund the Ukraine war against Russia. Still, ultimately, the short-term spending proposal passed the Senate by a vote of 88-9 at close to 9 p.m. on September 30th. President Joe Biden signed the legislation shortly before midnight.
The bottom line: The passage of the funding measure keeps the government open temporarily.
What’s next: Democrats will likely insist on funding at existing levels with additional funding for Ukraine. House Republicans will likely continue to insist on cuts to federal spending and funding for border security and other conservative priorities. Moreover, House Republicans could also seek to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for supporting a stopgap measure.
What it means for immigration: Immigration processing at all federal agencies will continue as normal, though processing could be affected by another prospective government shutdown in mid-November when the temporary funding measure is scheduled to expire.