US Congress to Vote on Temporary Budget Bill... Shutdown Likely to Be Avoided

The U.S. Congress is expected to agree on a temporary budget bill to avoid a federal government shutdown ahead of the November presidential election.

The House of Representatives will vote on a three-month temporary budget bill on the 25th (local time).

If the temporary budget bill passes the House floor, the Senate is expected to vote on it immediately.

The U.S. federal government begins its new fiscal year every year on October 1. If Congress does not approve the budget by the start of the fiscal year, a government shutdown occurs. If the temporary budget bill passes both the House and Senate, it will be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.

It is uncommon for Congress to pass a new budget on time due to disagreements between the Democratic and Republican parties. This time, tensions between the two parties increased as the Republicans tried to link the budget bill with the "SAVE Act," which requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote in the presidential election. In response, party leaders agreed on the 22nd to extend the government budget at the current level with a temporary budget bill until December 20, after the election. The SAVE Act was excluded from the temporary budget bill, but it included an additional $231 million in funding for the U.S. Secret Service (SS).