Congress voting Thursday to avert shutdown and keep federal government funded through early March

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is expected to extend current federal spending and keep the government open with votes in the Senate and House on Thursday, avoiding a shutdown and punting a final budget package until early March.

The stopgap bill comes after a bipartisan spending deal between House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., earlier this month and a subsequent agreement to extend current spending so the two chambers have enough time to pass individual spending bills. The temporary measure will run to March 1 for some federal agencies whose approved funds are set to run out Friday and extend the remainder of government operations to March 8.

Johnson has been under heavy pressure from his right flank to jettison the budget accord with Schumer, and the bill to keep the government open will need Democratic support to pass the Republican-majority House. But Johnson has insisted he will stick with the deal as moderates in the party have urged him not to back out.

The stopgap legislation will be the third time Congress has extended current spending as House Republicans have bitterly disagreed over budget levels and the right flank of the caucus has demanded steeper cuts. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by his caucus in October after striking an agreement with Democrats to extend current spending the first time, and Johnson has also come under criticism as he has wrestled with how to appease his members and avoid a government shutdown in an election year.

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