House passes stopgap bill to keep government funded

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – The House has passed a stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown Friday.

The bill passed Wednesday night by a vote of 224 to 201, mainly along party lines.

It buys lawmakers some extra time to hammer out a spending package to cover the full fiscal year.

The temporary funding package will continue cash flow through December 23^rd, giving negotiators an extra week to finalize their $1.7 trillion government spending deal.

The Senate could approve the extension as early as Thursday before it goes to President Biden for his signature.