Congress passes funding bill to avoid shutdown before midterms

The United States House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown and extend federal funding through December 11. The measure passed with a bipartisan vote of 370-48 and now advances to President Trump for approval.

The short-term spending measure became necessary because Congress failed to complete work on the twelve individual appropriations bills required to fund government programs for the full fiscal year.

Lawmakers from both parties chose to advance the continuing resolution to defuse a volatile political dispute and avert a government funding lapse during the final stretch of the midterm congressional campaign ahead of the November elections.