On Politics

Thu Nov 16 2023

Marina Pitofsky | Associate Editor/Politics

Hi OnPolitics readers! Late last night, the Senate approved a temporary plan to avoid a government shutdown that the House passed earlier this week. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure, known as a continuing resolution, soon to keep the government's doors open for Americans.

Kicking the can down the road? The continuing resolution isn't a permanent solution. Instead, it sets up another showdown early next year: The bill funds part of the government through Jan. 19 and another through Feb. 2. That's just five working weeks until the first deadline and six until the second, USA TODAY's Riley Beggin reports.

'The bar is pretty much on the ground': Lawmakers were eager to pass the resolution on Wednesday and get out of Washington ahead of Thanksgiving. But some leaders were still disappointed that Congress hasn't come together to provide some stability for the American people with a longer-term solution.

"It's not like we've accomplished anything. We kept the government open," said Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-La. "The bar is pretty much on the ground. I don't think you can get any lower unless you start digging."

Congress has been extraordinarily divided, and there is not yet agreement between the two chambers on what the final funding levels will be. Lawmakers still have to agree on a slate of funding bills to keep the government running, and Republicans in the House have demanded spending cuts that are dead-on-arrival in the Senate.