WASHINGTON — The federal government will not be shutting down on Friday, as had been feared.
The Senate passed a temporary spending resolution, effectively kicking the can down the road until after the first of the year.
The Senate voted 87-11 late Wednesday night to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government running, removing the threat of a shutdown two days before funding would have run out.
"It was pretty obvious to me that we were going to do an extension. The only question was for how long," said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia).
Here's how long: the new spending package keeps government funding at current levels for roughly two more months while a long-term package is negotiated.
The deal splits the deadlines for passing full-year appropriations bills into two dates: January 19 for some federal agencies and February 2 for others.
It means the uncertainty will continue for many weeks until Congress gets around to passing a final spending measure.
"It's a crazy way to run the largest organization in our country, the federal government. So, thank God we can get through Thanksgiving and Christmas without the threat of a shutdown," said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia).
Warner continued: "But, what the long-term damage it does to businesses that interact with the federal government. -- frankly, just for the mental health of our federal employees who'll have to deal with potentially two more shutdown dates in January and February -- it's the wrong way to operate."
The spending bill does not include the White House's nearly $106 billion request in wartime aid for Israel and Ukraine. Some Republican senators have demanded that Congress pass immigration and border legislation first.
Lawmakers are set to begin trying to tackle the supplemental funding package after a two-week Thanksgiving break.