Progress made to prevent government shutdown in the US

The US House of Representatives has passed a temporary funding bill to prevent a government shutdown that was set to begin at midnight. The bill, proposed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, includes funds for disaster relief but does not include US aid for Ukraine. The bill still needs approval from the Senate and the President before it can be signed into law. There may be a potential sticking point in the Senate, as Democrats have a one-seat majority and some may oppose the provision of aid to Ukraine. If an agreement is not reached, it would be the fourth government shutdown in the past decade, affecting various aspects of daily life such as air travel and food assistance programs. Efforts to reach a consensus on a new federal funding package have failed multiple times. The temporary funding bill, also known as a continuing resolution, required support from two-thirds of the House to pass quickly before the midnight deadline. The current US funding package is set to expire on October 1, and without a new deal, thousands of federal employees, including members of the armed forces and air traffic controllers, would be placed on unpaid leave.