US House passes spending bill to avert government shutdown

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The US House passed bipartisan bill to avert a government shutdown just hours before midnight, prompting Senate vote on funding the US federal government for another 45 days. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the proposal Saturday morning after weeks of wrangling among House Republicans. The bill, which includes natural disaster aid requested by White House, must now be approved by Senate before end of day on Saturday to avoid cuts in funding. READ Pregnant woman charged with after Perth stabbing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks with reporters after a closed-door meeting. The bill does not include AUD9.3 billion in funding for aid to Ukraine; It's a major concession requested by most House Republicans and a blow to allies of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who lobbied Congress earlier this month for additional aid. Asked if he was concerned that a member, including Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, might impeach him over this bill, McCarthy said, "If I have to risk my job to represent the American public, I will." " Infighting among Republicans in House of Representatives has played a central role in keeping Congress deadlocked on spending, and it is not yet clear how the problem will be resolved; That raises concerns on Capitol Hill that shutdown, if triggered, may not be easy to end. Democrats in House of Representatives have been trying throughout the day Saturday slow passage of GOP-led continuing resolution, objecting to forcing a vote on a newly introduced bill and calling for continued aid Ukraine. It's unclear how long Democrats will delay the House from voting. House Republicans met throughout Saturday morning and toyed with options on how to move forward. Republicans, including veteran property owners and those in swing districts, have pushed to bring a short-term resolution to the House floor for a vote on Saturday that would fund the government for 45 days. McCarthy faced threats to remain in office throughout the month if he worked with Democrats, as he endured persistent resistance from hardline conservatives in his own party. The shutdown is expected have significant impacts across the country, from air travel to clean drinking water, and many government operations will grind a halt, although services deemed essential for public safety will continue. Both chambers are scheduled to sit in session on Saturday, just hours before the deadline. The Senate was expected take procedural steps to advance its own plan fund the government — GOP Sen. Rand Paul had been promising all week to slow this process beyond midnight deadline because of objections to the bill's funding of war in Ukraine. The Senate is now waiting to see how developments in the House play out before proceeding. But Paul told CNN on Saturday afternoon that if it passes House and Senate takes up bill, it will not slow down Senate's consideration of GOP's 45-day spending bill, allowing Senate to move bi