Senate passes short-term funding bill to avert government shutdown

LAUREN PELLER, MARIAM KHAN and JOHN PARKINSON
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The Senate on Thursday passed a short-term funding bill that averts a partial government shutdown that was expected late Friday night.

The final vote tally was 77-13. The measure now heads to the president's desk.

The new funding deadlines for the government spending bills are now March 8 and March 22.

Congress will now return next week to finish working on the first tranche of six funding bills that are due by March 8.

Clouds roll over the U.S. Capitol dome as dusk approaches in Washington on June 12, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
Clouds roll over the U.S. Capitol dome as dusk approaches in Washington on June 12, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

In the House, Democrats helped Speaker Mike Johnson to pass the funding bill in the House. The House voted 320-99 in bipartisan fashion to approve the CR. Only two Democrats opposed the vote, joining 97 Republicans who voted against it.

The measure, brought up under "suspension of the rules," required a two-third majority vote to pass -- which meant Johnson needed Democrats' votes to pass it. Similar actions by Johnson's predecessor, Kevin McCarthy put him in hot water and contributed to his ouster last year.

PHOTO: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks during a news conference after a closed-door House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 29, 2024. (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)
PHOTO: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks during a news conference after a closed-door House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 29, 2024. (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Here's what to know if a partial government shutdown goes into effect

On Wednesday, House and Senate leaders reached a bipartisan deal to avert the partial government shutdown of roughly 20% of the government, and create new funding deadlines: March 8 for that 20% and March 22 for the remaining 80%.

Johnson hoped that an additional week could give Congress more time to pass all remaining appropriations bills to fully fund the government through the end of FY2024. It comes after Johnson previously promised there would be no more short-term funding bills.

ABC News' Sarah Beth Hensley and Jay O'Brien contributed to this report.

Senate passes short-term funding bill to avert government shutdown originally appeared on abcnews.go.com