Members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed a 45-day stopgap measure with bipartisan (335-91) support Saturday.
According to NBC News, “the ball is now in the Senate’s court,” where Democrats hold a majority.
Per the outlet, the “surprising turn,” will keep the government open beyond midnight. Due to contention within the majority Republican party, the nation was bracing for federal services to be put on hold Sunday.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was down almost a dozen votes he needed to pass a spending bill earlier this week. Members of the far-right Freedom Caucus formed the blockage. They were demanding cuts deeper than the agreement McCarthy made with President Joe Biden.
The stopgap legislation passed Saturday did not include funding for Ukraine. Democrats have made this a priority and experts have said U.S. and allied support of Ukraine is integral to helping the country fend off a Russian invasion that began early last year. It is expected to pass there, since Senate lawmakers were working on their own bill to keep the government open. However, reports indicated that Sen. Michael Bennet, (D-Colo.) was holding up the vote Saturday evening and asking for a promise of consideration for Ukraine.
NBC reported that the House is adjourned until Monday.
By 9:06 p.m. ET Saturday, the Senate passed the bill (88-9).
“A White House official monitoring negotiations said that this stopgap, should it pass the Senate, is a ‘win’ for Democrats,” and that President Joe Biden would sign it, according to The New York Times.