🔺U.S. Senate approves temporary federal budget funding bill

▪The U.S. Senate, with a Republican majority, approved a temporary bill to fund federal institutions until December 11. The stated goal is to prevent a government shutdown a few weeks before the midterm elections in November.

▪The House of Representatives, which is also controlled by Republicans, had passed its own short-term version last month. Both chambers must resolve their differences so that Donald Trump can sign it before the current budget expires on September 30.

▪Democrats say the Senate version, unlike the House version, prevents the government from transferring funding for other programs to border security and enables cuts to funding for housing programs and food assistance.