The US House of Representatives votes to avert a government shutdown as the deadline approaches

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to pass a budget deal to avert the first federal government shutdown since 2019.

The deal, approved by a vote of 366-34 just six hours before the midnight deadline, still needs to be approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate before it can be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Lawmakers successfully negotiated a deal to fund government agencies earlier this week – but it collapsed after President-elect Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk urged Republicans to reject it.

The vote was the third attempt this week to pass a deal in the House, after a second funding measure – the one backed by Trump – failed on Thursday.

The 118-page American Relief Act of 2025, which passed the House on Friday, strips a Trump-demanded debt limit provision that was a sticking point for Democrats and some Republican budget hawks in an earlier bill.

The agreement also eliminates measures Democrats sought in the first version of the bill, including the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009, federal funding to rebuild a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore, health care reforms and provisions barring live hotels and venues -Events from misleading advertising.

A total of 34 Republicans voted against the short-term funding bill, while all Democrats present voted in favor.

Trump has not yet commented on the vote. A White House statement on behalf of Biden praised the deal.

Before the vote, Democrats criticized Mr. Musk’s involvement in the process, calling him an unelected billionaire.

Mr. Musk, whom Trump has tasked with cutting government spending in his incoming administration, had lobbied heavily against an earlier bill.

During the floor debate, Republicans said they looked forward to a “new era” as Trump takes office and Republicans take control of both chambers of Congress next month.

The budget dispute has left Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson hurt amid criticism from members of his own party over his handling of the process.

“We are grateful that everyone pulled together to do the right thing, and now that we have completed this as our final task of the year, we are set for a big and important new beginning in January,” Johnson said after the vote on Friday reporters.

He also said that he spoke frequently with both Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk during the negotiations.

Johnson’s comments came shortly after Mr. Musk praised the Louisiana congressman’s work on the budget in a post on X, the social media platform he runs.

“The speaker did a good job here given the circumstances,” he posted. “It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces.”

The dramatic budget dispute served as a foretaste of the tense legislative battles that could lie ahead next year once Trump is in the White House.

Officials have warned that millions of federal workers would go without paychecks if the government shuts down if there is no funding agreement over the holiday season.

There will be countless other impacts of a shutdown on Americans — including by limiting aid to vulnerable farmers and people recovering from natural disasters.

The last government shutdown came during Trump’s first term in 2019 after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to reach an agreement on a new spending bill.

This shutdown lasted 35 days and was the longest in US history.