The Senate approved the measure Saturday evening after the House abruptly reversed course earlier in the day and passed a bipartisan bill. The bill needed support from two-thirds of House members to pass under an expedited process.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s job could now be on the line. Hardline conservatives threatened to oust him if he relied on Democratic votes to avert a shutdown.
The stopgap bill will keep the government open through November 17 and includes natural disaster aid but not additional funding for Ukraine, due to objections from some conservatives. The Biden administration has warned this would have serious consequences for the war.
Our live coverage has ended. Read more about today’s developments in the posts below.
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Congress passed a short-term funding bill averting a government shutdown. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
A government shutdown was prevented after Congress passed a stopgap funding measure ahead of a critical midnight deadline in a whirlwind day on Capitol Hill.
President Joe Biden signed the bill late Saturday night.
Catch up here:
How it came together: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the stopgap proposal Saturday morning, a move that came after weeks of infighting among House Republicans and a failed effort to pass a GOP stopgap bill in the chamber. The bill passed the House with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, and it then was sent to the Senate. The final vote was 88 to 9.
The bill will keep the government open through November 17 and includes natural disaster aid but not additional funding for Ukraine or border security.
Concerns over Ukraine funding: The stopgap bill originally included funding for Ukraine to help Kyiv fight the full-scale invasion from Russia, but the funds were dropped after some conservatives raised objections during negotiations.
Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet briefly held up the vote on the bill after he objected over concerns about the lack of funding in it. Bipartisan members of Senate leadership released a joint statement committing to vote on further funding for Ukraine aid “in the coming weeks.”
House Democratic leadership said in a statement that they expect McCarthy to bring a separate Ukraine aid bill to vote when the House returns.
McCarthy’s fate unknown: The decision by McCarthy to put a bill on the floor that would win support from Democrats could put his speakership at risk as hardline conservatives continue to threaten a vote to oust him from the top House leadership post.
McCarthy was defiant after the vote, daring his detractors to try to push him out as he argued he did what was needed to govern effectively.
Hardliners are expected to force a vote to remove McCarthy as speaker, just “not yet,” according to a Republican lawmaker.
Fire alarm incident: New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulled a fire alarm in a House office building on Saturday morning shortly before the House was scheduled to vote on the funding bill, which he said was an accident.
“I was trying to get to a door. I thought the alarm would open the door, and I pulled the fire alarm to open the door by accident,” he told reporters.
House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, who first revealed the incident, said “an investigation into why it was pulled is underway.”
McCarthy said the House ethics committee should look into it, while GOP Rep. Lisa McClain told CNN that she was circulating a resolution to censure Bowman.
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Biden signs stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown
Joe Biden signs the stopgap funding bill on Saturday night.
The Senate passed the measure Saturday evening after the House abruptly reversed course earlier in the day and passed a bipartisan bill to extend government funding after days of uncertainty over whether a shutdown could be averted.
The legislation punts a potential shutdown until November 17. It includes natural disaster funding, but not aid for Ukraine to help Kyiv fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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GOP presidential candidates react to averted government shutdown
From CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi and Aaron Pellish
Some Republican presidential candidates spoke about the averted government shutdown in remarks made on the campaign trail.
Here’s what they said:
Nikki Haley
Haley on Saturday criticized Congress, including Republicans, for allowing the US to get close to a government shutdown by not producing a budget on time and for including funding for pet projects in appropriations bills.
Vivek Ramaswamy
At the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim, California, on Saturday, the entrepreneur criticized the threat of government shutdown as an unproductive strategy that does not accomplish the goal of reducing government spending, and he argued the more effective government spending cuts would come from his plan to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy.
Ramaswamy also cited zero-base budgeting as a potentially effective reform to reduce government spending.
Mike Pence
The former vice president on Saturday said he’s going to continue to be a “strong voice” when asked by CNN about his brother’s vote against Ukraine aid and whether the issue has divided his family.
GOP Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana, Pence’s brother who endorsed him for president, on Wednesday voted against a bill that would have provided Ukraine security assistance for fiscal year 2024.
The stopgap funding bill does not include any new aid for Ukraine. But bipartisan members of Senate leadership released a joint statement committing to vote on further funding for Ukraine aid “in the coming weeks.”
He did not answer whether he has confidence in House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to unite the party around a spending bill.
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How a freshman GOP senator became a key broker as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer
Sen. Markwayne Mullin speaks to reporters during a vote on Saturday.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Republican Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin has been spotted all over the Capitol in the last few days, including with his former House Republican colleagues at their conference meetings and on the floor.
Mullin was a key player in conversations between the House and Senate GOP as they wrestled with how to avert a government shutdown, running back and forth between the two chambers.
“I’ve been blessed to have friends on both sides,” he told reporters.
Mullin even caught himself referring to the House GOP as “we,” at one point on Saturday. “If we do it — if the House does it — I still talk like I was there,” he laughed.
Mullin was in and out of the conference meeting Saturday morning where House Republicans considered several options for keeping the government open, and he attended the Senate GOP conference’s lunch afterwards.
“I just happen to have good relationships with the speaker and some of the House members,” he told CNN. “And then with Sen. (John) Thune, I just thanked him for giving me the opportunity to do it, you know, just running back and forth, but it was good.”
“And we all came together — in a bipartisan manner, that’s even better,” he added.
Asked whether he would be taking on this role as a go-between for Republicans across the Capitol more often, Mullin joked, “Lord, I hope we don’t have a day like this.”
“I need to bring my gym shorts. We’ll have to bring (Pennsylvania Sen. John) Fetterman’s rule back so I can have the gym clothes to run back and forth,” referring to the controversy in the Capitol earlier in September when Senate Majority Leader a Chuck Schumer decided to stop enforcing the Senate’s unwritten dress code, only to have a formal resolution requiring business attire passed a week later.
While Mullin acknowledged that the short-term spending resolution may put Congress back in the same spot in mid-November, he was optimistic they had learned something from this experience.
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Defense secretary calls for more Ukraine aid following the passage of the stopgap bill
From CNN's Mike Callahan
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a welcome ceremony at the Pentagon on September 21.
Andrew Harnik/AP/FILE
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin welcomed congressional passage of a stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown, but he called for more Ukraine funding in a statement on Saturday night.
The short-term funding measure does not include new aid for Ukraine it its battle against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
What government leaders say: House Democratic leadership said in a statement Saturday that they expect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to bring a separate Ukraine aid bill to vote when the House returns.
Bipartisan members of Senate leadership also released a joint statement committing to vote on further funding for Ukraine aid “in the coming weeks,” after Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet objected to the Senate’s consideration of the short-term spending bill over concerns about the lack of funding.
“We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday night.
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Here's what Republican senators who voted against the stopgap bill are saying
From CNN's Kaanita Iyer
The US Senate passed a stopgap bill tonight to keep the government funded through November.
He added: “We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the U.S. economy. I’m grateful to all Members of Congress who stood with me, but the battle to fund our government isn’t over yet - the forever-war crowd will return.”
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Stopgap bill is currently en route to the White House
From CNN's MJ Lee
The stopgap bill that the House and the Senate passed is en route to the White House, per a source. President Joe Biden is expected to sign it as soon as it arrives.
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Bipartisan Senate leadership says they support vote for more Ukraine funding "in the coming weeks"
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer
Bipartisan members of Senate leadership released a joint statement committing to vote on further funding for Ukraine aid “in the coming weeks,” after Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet delayed the Senate’s consideration of the short-term spending bill over concerns about the funding.
“In the coming weeks, we expect the Senate will work to ensure the U.S. government continues to provide critical and sustained security and economic support for Ukraine,” it says.
Earlier Saturday, Bennet told reporters a bipartisan statement was exactly what he had hoped to see when he objected on the stopgap bill to keep the government open due to its lack of Ukraine funding.
“I think it’s really important for us to send a message that the dysfunction that we have — in terms of this immediate question about opening or closing the government — doesn’t reflect on our bipartisan commitment to make sure that the United States stays in this battle and that we continue to support the Ukrainian people in their in their fight,” he said.
When asked if he trusts the House, Bennet said, “We’re gonna have to work every day between now and the next votes we take to make sure that the American people understand how important this is and and that Congress fulfills our obligation.”
He said he is not aware of any timeline from leadership.
Following the release of the bipartisan statement, Bennet in a separate statement addressed the need for Senate leadership to reaffirm support for Ukraine.
“I objected tonight to proceeding to the Continuing Resolution because it failed to provide additional money for Ukraine. Senate Leadership needed to reaffirm our bipartisan commitment to sustain funding for Ukraine. The Senate Leadership has released such a statement, and, as a result, I voted to keep the government open,” he said in the statement.
The White House is seen at dusk on September 30, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
President Joe Biden praised bipartisan efforts to keep the government open tonight and funded through November but added that the last-minute scramble by House Republicans was a “manufactured crisis” that could have been avoided months ago.
“Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted needless pain on millions of hardworking Americans,” the president said in a statement Saturday night, marking the passage of the stopgap bill.
Biden went on to slam House Republicans for a “manufactured crisis” saying, “We should never have been in this position in the first place. Just a few months ago, Speaker McCarthy and I reached a budget agreement to avoid precisely this type of manufactured crisis.”
Biden did reiterate his support for Ukraine, urging Congress to pass separate funding for assistance to Ukraine in the war against Russia.
“While the Speaker and the overwhelming majority of Congress have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine, there is no new funding in this agreement to continue that support. We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” he said.
The stopgap bill will fund the government through November 17.
Earlier Saturday, a White House official said Biden is on standby right now to sign the short-term government funding bill as soon as it reaches his desk.
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These are the 9 Republican senators who voted against the stopgap funding bill
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer
Sen. Marsha Blackburn listens during a press conference on border security at the US Capitol Building on September 27, in Washington, DC.
Schumer praises colleagues for voting to keep the government open
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gives a thumbs up after voting on the continuing resolution passed by the House earlier in the day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 30, 2023.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised his colleagues for passing a stopgap spending bill to fund the government, averting a shutdown until mid-November.
“I want to thank my colleagues here in the Senate, especially our appropriators,” Schumer said, noting that the the bipartisan work in the chamber “set the tone” for the bill they were about to to pass.
“Our bipartisanship made this bill possible,” added Schumer. “We will keep the government open for 45 days with a clean (continuing resolution), at current funding levels.”
Schumer claimed victory, saying that “we avoided all of the extreme, nasty, and harmful cuts MAGA Republicans wanted,” and he argued that the Senate had set the bipartisan example for the House.
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NOW: Senate passes stopgap bill to avert shutdown
The Senate passes a stopgap funding measure to prevent a federal government shutdown on Saturday.
The Senate passed the measure Saturday evening after the House abruptly reversed course and passed a bipartisan bill to extend government funding earlier in the day just hours ahead of the deadline. The House vote came after days of uncertainty over whether a shutdown could be averted. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk for approval.
The bill would keep the government open through November 17 and includes natural disaster aid but not additional funding for Ukraine or border security. It also includes a measure to keep the Federal Aviation Administration operational.
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Biden is currently on standby to sign funding bill
From CNN’s MJ Lee
The White House is seen at dusk on September 30 in Washington, DC.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
President Biden is on standby at the White House right now to sign the short-term government funding bill as soon as it reaches his desk, a White House official said.
Biden opted to stay in Washington this weekend – a rare occurrence – as a government shutdown had seemed almost inevitable even this morning. Officials said he spent much of the day in the Oval Office as he was briefed by senior advisers; he left the White House briefly earlier this evening to attend mass.
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Sen. Bennet says he got what he wanted from his objection over lack of Ukraine aid — a bipartisan statement
From CNN’s Morgan Rimmer
Sen. Michael Bennet speaks on a cellphone in a hallway as the House approved a 45-day funding bill to keep federal agencies open, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet told reporters that there will be a statement on US commitment to Ukraine soon, which was exactly what he had hoped to see when he objected on the stopgap bill to keep the government open. The bill does not include new aid for Ukraine.
“What I asked for exactly was a statement from leadership, a bipartisan statement from the leadership, and that’s what we’re gonna get,” the senator told reporters.
He said he had signaled he would slow consideration of the spending bill “in the hope that when we get into the discussion in the second round here, that we’ve all thought about just as how important this is. We can’t fail here.”
Bennet added, “These votes on Ukraine are beyond politics and our responsibility as a nation here is beyond politics.”
Both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke about supporting Ukraine during remarks on the Senate floor earlier.
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House Democratic leadership says McCarthy is expected to advance a separate Ukraine aid bill
From CNN's Haley Talbot and Manu Raju
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks with members of the media alongside Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer and Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik following passage in the House of a 45 day continuing resolution on September 30, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Nathan Howard/Getty Images
House Democratic leadership said in a statement Saturday that they expect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to bring a separate Ukraine aid bill to vote when the House returns.
The statement, signed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, caucus chair Pete Aguilar and vice chair Ted Lieu, said that the House needs to show “renewing support for the valiant Ukrainian effort” by voting on additional Ukraine aid.
This will be a key leverage if McCarthy needs the votes from his Democratic colleagues to survive a motion to vacate vote.
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NOW: The Senate is voting on a last-minute measure to prevent a government shutdown
The Senate is now voting on a stopgap funding measure that passed through the House earlier Saturday with bipartisan support.
The last-minute bill is aimed at avoiding a government shutdown by temporarily funding the federal government ahead of a midnight deadline.
The Republican bill evolved rapidly this morning and ultimately earned the support of all but one Democrat in the House.
Schumer and McConnell pledge further assistance for Ukraine ahead of vote to avert a government shutdown
From CNN’s Morgan Rimmer and Adrienne Vogt
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks on the Senate floor on September 30.
Senate TV
In remarks ahead of the vote on the stopgap bill, both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell promised further assistance to Ukraine, even though the bill does not include it.
“Democrats and Republicans have come to an agreement and the government will remain open. We will have avoided a shutdown. Bipartisanship, which has been the trademark of the Senate, has prevailed and the American people can breathe a sigh of relief,” Schumer said.
McConnell said in his remarks, “With just a few hours to spare, the Senate is now in a position to prevent a harmful and unnecessary government shutdown.”
McConnell said, “I’m confident the Senate will pass further urgent assistance to Ukraine later this year.”
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Senate takes procedural steps to move funding measure
From CNN’s Morgan Rimmer
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is on the Senate floor, and the Senate is taking procedural steps to move forward with final passage to fund the government.
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GOP Senate minority whip predicts vote will happen soon
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer
The Senate is coming back into session, and Senate Minority Whip John Thune said they are close to a statement that addresses Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet’s concerns about Ukraine.
“You’ll see here soon. I mean, it’ll be a statement, but yeah … we’re getting close,” the Republican lawmaker said.
Asked to be more specific about how close they were to voting, Thune estimated “an hour.”
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GOP committee chairman says Rep. Bowman needs to be "far more forthcoming" on the fire alarm incident
From CNN's Philip Wang
Chairman Bryan Steil conducts the House Administration Committee "Informational Security Briefing on Increased Violent Crime and Personal Safety for Members and Staff in Washington D.C.," in Longworth Building on Monday, September 18, 2023.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images
Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, chairman of the House Administration Committee, said Rep. Jamaal Bowman needed to be “far more forthcoming” as to what happened when he decided to pull the fire alarm.
Steil also warned that if Bowman pulled the alarm to interfere with the House voting procedure — an accusation that Bowman said was “complete BS” — it would be “a serious violation of the law.”
“If in the event that he engaged in illegal behavior, like pulling a fire alarm to try to interfere with House proceedings, that is a serious violation of the law and no one should be treated above the law,” Steil said.
“I have reviewed his public statements. He is currently under investigation by United States Capitol Police, and I suspect that investigation will wrap up in a not too distant future. I would hope that he’s far more forthcoming as to what he was doing when he pulled the fire alarm,” he added.
Some background: Bowman attempted to explain himself to reporters this afternoon following the incident.