Senate Passes Stopgap Measure to Avert Government Shutdown and Provide Ukraine Aid

The US Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a stopgap measure to prevent a government shutdown, keeping the government open for an additional six weeks and providing $6 billion in short-term funding for Ukraine. However, the deal may face challenges in the House of Representatives, where far-right Republicans have vowed to reject it. Failure to pass budget legislation by the September 30 deadline could lead to a government shutdown, affecting federal services and employees' pay. The US's credit rating could also be further downgraded. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces pressure from within his party, with some far-right members threatening to remove him from his leadership position if he partners with Democrats to pass the budget. President Joe Biden criticized Republicans for refusing to stand up to extremists in their party and potentially forcing a government shutdown.