White House Signals It Is Open To Signing Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

The White House on Saturday signaled an openness to signing House-passed legislation to avert a shutdown.

The legislation, which passed the House 335-91 with bipartisan support, keeps the government open at higher funding levels than stopgap legislation in the Senate, since it includes disaster relief and FAA authorization, a White House official said.

House Republicans, on Friday, were seeking deeper cuts that aren't in the legislation, according to the official.

The House-passed bill does not contain aid to Ukraine. However, the White House expects House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has said he supports national security aid to Ukraine, to soon bring separate legislation to the floor.

The Senate was poised to approve the bill on Saturday night and send it to the White House for the president's signature, avoiding what most had predicted would be a certain shutdown.

“The House has kind of gone home so we’re in a take-it-or-leave-it situation. My goal has always been to prevent a government shutdown," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said.