Shutdown Averted (for Now)

Lawmakers avoided a federal government shutdown over the weekend, agreeing to a 45-day stopgap funding bill ahead of a Saturday night deadline. The bipartisan measure passed the House by a vote of 335-91, with the Senate following suit, 88-9. The bill extends current funding levels during the timeframe, adding $16B for disaster relief and omitting new funding for Ukraine. The deal came as a last-minute surprise. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R, CA-20) had previously said he would not offer a short-term extension, known as a continuing resolution, instead raising a number of bills with Republican priorities, each of which failed to pass. The effort was strongly opposed by a bloc of conservative House members. A condition of McCarthy's election as speaker allows any single member to call a vote to oust him from the position. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R, FL-1) said he would raise the motion this week. In related news, US Capitol Police are investigating whether Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D, NY-16) intentionally pulled a fire alarm to delay Saturday's vote.