"Senate's Stopgap Bill Prevents Government Shutdown as House Reacts"

The Senate has passed a stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown, which has already been approved by the House and will now be sent to President Joe Biden for signing. The bill extends funding until January 19 for various priorities, with the rest of the government funded until February 2. However, the stopgap bill sets up a contentious fight over funding in the new year, as lawmakers will need to negotiate and pass full-year spending bills in just over two months. Major partisan divisions and demands for spending cuts make the process complicated, and newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson will face a significant leadership test.