President Joe Biden has reassured allies of continued U.S. financial support for Ukraine, despite a short-term funding package that dropped assistance for the country. Congress passed a bill to keep the government funded until November 21, giving them more time to negotiate a longer-term solution. Biden urged Congress to act quickly to ensure the continued flow of American aid to Ukraine.
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has announced his intention to file a motion to vacate the speakership of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week, citing McCarthy's lack of trustworthiness. The bill passed Saturday night did not include new funding for Ukraine, and McCarthy has said that those wanting more funding for Ukraine will have to give in on border security funding. This motion, if successful, would be a major shake-up in the House of Representatives, and it is unclear how it will be received by other members of Congress.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy put forward a resolution to extend government funding for 45 days, which was passed with the help of Democrats. This move was met with opposition from far-right Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, who threatened to oust McCarthy from his leadership position. Despite the challenge, McCarthy remained confident that he would survive, and the government was saved from a shutdown.
Congress has passed a stopgap bill to keep federal agencies funded and workers at their desks through mid-November, with 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans in support. The bill includes $6 billion in aid to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian invaders, but House Republicans have agreed to give up their demands and not provide new aid. This is seen as a victory for the Trump administration, but is also a cause for concern as it may encourage Russian aggression.
President Joe Biden signed a bill to fund the government just hours before the government was set to enter a technical shutdown, avoiding a shutdown and providing disaster relief funding. Members of both parties expressed relief, but the bill is likely to only delay, not resolve, future fights.
Jimmy Carter will celebrate his 99th birthday with his family on Sunday, a day earlier than planned to avoid potential disruption from a federal government shutdown. The celebration will take place in the same one-story structure where the Carters lived before he was first elected to the Georgia Senate in 1962. Carter was born in 1924 in rural Georgia, becoming the first future American president born in a hospital. His grandson Jason Carter reflects on the remarkable accomplishments of his grandparents and their commitment to their small hometown.
The Senate passed a bipartisan bill Saturday evening to keep the government funded for 45 days, just three hours before a midnight deadline. The bill, which was passed earlier by the House with a substantial bipartisan vote of 335-91, will keep the government funded at existing levels through November 17th and authorize additional disaster relief money. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law, preventing active-duty troops from not getting paid, travelers from experiencing airport delays, and millions of women and children from losing access to vital nutrition assistance.
On Saturday, U.S. Capitol Police responded to a fire alarm pulled by Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, causing an evacuation of the Cannon office building. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for Bowman to be punished, comparing it to the Jan 6 rioters, and an investigation into what happened and why continues. Bowman has yet to comment on the incident, and it remains to be seen what the outcome of the investigation will be and how Bowman will be punished, if at all.