House passes temporary spending bill meant to avoid government shutdown

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The House of Representatives approved an interim spending bill Thursday, boosting hopes of avoiding a government shutdown at the end of the month.

The bill, which funds the government at current levels through Nov. 21, was passed 301-123. All but three Democrats voted to support the measure, meaning the bill could have passed the House without any GOP "yea" votes.

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The Senate is expected to approve the package next week, meaning fights over funding for President Trump's border wall and possible restrictions on appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security restrictions over the treatment of migrants.

If the bill is enacted, lawmakers would have until Nov. 21 to negotiate and approve $1.4 trillion for federal agencies. Those bills would fill in the details of this summer's budget and debt agreement between Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

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The House-passed measure also extends some expiring federal programs and replenishes Trump's bailout of farmers who've been hurt by the U.S. trade dispute with China. Democrats say Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is favoring certain crops over others, and Democrats won language requiring a report on where the bailout money is going.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, said the Senate had just begun working on the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations bill last week, and there was not enough time to complete the appropriations process by the Sept. 30 deadline for a permanent spending bill.

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The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved three noncontroversial measures on unanimous votes as the sniping continued in the wake of Wednesday's Democratic filibuster of the almost $700 billion defense bill and other legislation.

Senate Democrats have accused Republicans of shortchanging health and education programs to finance the border project and would permit the president to transfer military dollars for the wall again. But Democrats also want to maintain some leverage over Trump by holding back the Pentagon measure he cares most in order to help force compromises on the domestic bills important to their party.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.