House Passes Bill to Prevent Government Shutdown

The U.S. House of Representatives successfully passed a stopgap funding bill late Friday to prevent a government shutdown, securing operations through mid-March and including $110 billion for disaster relief. The bill received substantial bipartisan support, with nearly all Democrats backing the legislation despite opposition from 34 conservative Republicans. However, the Senate must act quickly to approve the measure before a midnight deadline, as failure to do so would lead to furloughs of federal employees. This funding package addresses pressing disaster recovery needs, following recent climate-related events, but has been criticized for delaying necessary aid. President-elect Donald Trump's earlier demands for a debt ceiling increase were not included in the final bill, highlighting the tension within the Republican party. The legislative maneuvering involved significant influence from Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk, raising concerns among some lawmakers about the direction of party strategies.