The US Senate has approved a spending bill, thereby averting a potential shutdown

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., walks outside the chamber ahead of final work on a partial government funding bill, March 8, 2024.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday, the U.S. Senate stopped a partial government shutdown by agreeing to spending money for several government agencies before their current funding ends.

Senators voted 75-22 to approve a $467.5 billion spending package that will fund agriculture, transportation, housing, energy, veterans, and other programs through September 30. The package is going to President Joe Biden for him to sign.

All the money for those programs was going to run out at midnight.

This helped end an argument for government spending that had been going on for months. At one point, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives didn't have a leader for three weeks.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said that this bipartisan package says otherwise.

The bill passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives this week. But action in the Senate was delayed as some conservative Republicans wanted votes on immigration and other topics. All of them did not succeed.

Congress needs to come up with a plan for spending more money on things like the military, homeland security, health care, and other things. The funding for those programs expires on March 22.

Together, the two things would cost $1.66 trillion. Some Republicans wanted to reduce spending more to pay down the $34.5 trillion national debt.

All of these rules were supposed to be made into law by October 1, which is when the 2024 fiscal year starts. Congress usually meets that deadline, but this year has been especially chaotic. So far, Congress has had to approve four temporary funding bills to keep agency operations the same as last year.

Dianne Feinstein, a Democratic Senator, asked for $241.3 million in earmarks, which are local projects. She died on September 29, 2023, two days before the new year begins.