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Congressional leaders seeking to avert a shutdown of most federal agencies remained locked in debate about short-term legislation days before a key deadline.

House Republicans on March 11 passed legislation to keep the U.S. government open past a March 15 shutdown deadline, daring moderate Democrats in the Senate to block the measure.

House Republicans announced a spending bill to keep government agencies open through Sept. 30, daring Democrats to vote against it and risk a disruptive March 15 shutdown.

The spending bill would keep the government open through March 14, provide disaster relief and give billions of dollars in economic aid to farmers. It will not suspend the national debt limit.

The drama left Johnson huddling with allies in his Capitol office to come up with a Plan B that would keep the government financed and avoid the political pain of a shutdown come Dec. 21.

Congress is working to clear for President Joe Biden fiscal 2025 legislation prior to this month’s deadline. A new session of Congress is scheduled to start in early January.

WASHINGTON — The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Sept. 30, hours before a midnight deadline, as Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open.

Varying perspectives on Capitol Hill regarding federal funding priorities point to potential disruptions at certain agencies, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said recently.

A government shutdown would have a cascading economic effect, beginning mildly and deepening over time as many go without pay and consumer uncertainty grows over Washington’s dysfunction.

The U.S. is on track for an Oct. 1 government shutdown despite incremental progress late Sept. 26 in the House and Senate on rival spending bills.