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Schumer: Senate reaches deal to avoid government shutdown; vote set for Thursday

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said late Wednesday that a deal had been reached on a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.

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Schumer, D-New York, said that the Senate will vote Thursday to keep the government funded at current levels through Dec. 3.

The House is expected to approve the measure on Thursday following the Senate vote. The vote would prevent a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Friday.

“With so many critical issues to address, the last thing the American people need right now is a government shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, along with other GOP senators have said in the past week that they do not intend to allow federal agencies to close in a government shutdown. But they have promised to fight Democrats on nearly $4 trillion in spending sought by President Joe Biden.

“Bipartisanship isn’t a light switch that Democrats can switch on when they need to borrow money and flip off when they want to spend money,” McConnell said on the chamber floor Tuesday.

The legislation includes aid for those affected by Hurricane Ida, as well as funding to support Afghanistan evacuees from the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban.

A continuing resolution, or “CR,” is legislation that funds government operations at the current spending level. CRs can fund the government for days, weeks or months.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.