Congress is officially halfway toward preventing a government shutdown

The Senate approved a short-term spending bill 65 to 35 on Thursday in a race to stop a government shutdown from going into effect at midnight, The New York Times reports. The legislation will now move to the House, where it is likely to pass, before heading to President Biden's desk.

Said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) ahead of Thursday's vote: "This is a good outcome — one I am happy we are getting done," reports the Times. "With so many things happening in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt."

The stopgap agreement will keep the government fully funded through Dec. 3, "giving lawmakers additional time to reach consensus over the dozen annual bills that dictate federal spending," writes the Times. A deal was reached after Democrats agreed to remove a provision that would have raised the federal government's borrowing ability through the end of 2022.

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As noted by CNBC, passing a funding plan resolves one crisis while lawmakers deal with another — "a looming default unless Congress raises or suspends the debt ceiling" by Oct. 18. Read more at The New York Times and CNBC.