Congress passes temporary bill to avoid shutdown as lawmakers punt spending decisions to December

Congress has avoided a government shutdown just weeks before the Nov. 5 election. The House and Senate gave swift approval Wednesday to a bill that keeps federal agencies funded through Dec. 20. The Senate voted to approve the measure shortly after the House passed it earlier in the afternoon. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature. The funding bill generally funds agencies at current levels. Speaker Mike Johnson touted the measure as doing only what's absolutely necessary in a bid to win over conservatives. Lawmakers now face another difficult round of fiscal negotiations at the end of the year.