The United States government shutdown was averted as Congress swiftly passed a temporary funding measure before a crucial midnight deadline in a hectic day on Capitol Hill. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law late Saturday night.
Democratic Colorado Senator Michael Bennet briefly delayed the vote on the bill, expressing concerns about the insufficient funding it contained. Bipartisan Senate leaders issued a joint statement pledging to vote on additional funding for Ukraine aid in the forthcoming weeks.
House Democratic leadership, in response, stated their anticipation that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy would bring a separate bill for Ukraine aid to a vote when the House reconvenes.
“We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” Biden said in a statement.United States government shutdown
McCarthy was defiant after the vote, daring his detractors to try to push him out as he argued he did what was needed to govern effectively.
A Republican lawmaker has indicated that hardliners are likely to push for a vote to oust McCarthy from his position as speaker, though the timing for such a move remains uncertain.
“I was just trying to get to my vote, and the door that’s usually open wasn’t open, it was closed,” Bowman added.
House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, who first revealed the incident, said “an investigation into why it was pulled is underway.”