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Shutdown: Congress votes to keep US government open
The measure passed in both chambers of Congress and now heads to President Biden's desk.
Politics
The US Congress has passed a temporary measure to keep the government funded through December and avoid yet another federal shutdown.
It now heads to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.
Lawmakers faced a midnight deadline before funding lapsed, which could have forced federal museums, national parks and safety programmes to close.
The funding bill also includes money for hurricane relief and resettling Afghan refugees.
The newly approved funding ensures that federal agencies do not need to close down on Friday and hundreds of thousands of government employees will not have to take unpaid leave.
Of particular concern, given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, was the potential hit that health services could take. A plan prepared by the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) found that it may have been forced to send up to 43% of its staff home in the event of a shutdown.
On Wednesday night, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate reached a deal to keep the government open until 3 December, through a temporary budget called a continuing resolution.