Congressional leaders on Friday reach a tentative agreement to avoid a government shutdown

US congressional leaders reached agreement on several bills funding the federal government, as well as a An interim measure that would extend government funding and avoid a shutdown ahead of Friday’s deadline.

As the new plan is being finalized, Congress will temporarily extend funding for one set of federal agencies until March 8 and another set until March 22, provided both Republicans and Democrats agree on a comprehensive funding plan for the rest of the budget year.

Also There were no immediate plans to approve the $95 billion national security emergency fund For Ukraine, Israel and other allies.

The House and Senate must now vote and approve the deal before a Friday deadline, when some funding will run out.

It was expected The announcement was made by party leaders later on Wednesday Negotiators in Congress are working hard to finalize a federal spending plan, and Washington has joined Ukraine and other American allies around the world in watching and waiting for House Speaker Mike Johnson’s next move.

New Republican leader He faces the test of his career trying to keep the US government open Friday before midnight, the deadline for some federal departments. At the same time, emergency funding for Ukraine, Israel and their Indo-Pacific allies remains stubbornly stagnant. President Joe Biden called the leaders on Tuesday in hopes of making progress toward a deal.

“We’re very close to getting there,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday as he opened the sidelines of the Capitol.

Republicans are also optimistic that a deal can be reached.

What is Congress? A familiar cycle of threatened closures and disruptions has become As far to the right of Johnson, most Republicans fight for more spending cuts than Democrats and few other Republicans are willing to accept.

While Johnson, R-Louisiana, inherited a difficult dynamic, it will only get worse when his majority shrinks further on Wednesday, when Tom Suozzi, Democrat of New York, takes on Republican Rep. George Santos is sworn in after a special election to replace him. The House is split 213-219, leaving Johnson with no room for dissent.

Any continuing resolution shall be part of the “ A comprehensive agreement to finalize a series of appropriations billsensuring adequate time to draft the text and for members to review it before voting,” Johnson’s press secretary, Athena Lawson, said in a statement.

Senior military officials said at a Pentagon briefing that the delay in passing the 2024 budget has hurt the military without additional new money to do as it has responded to crises in recent months.

Meanwhile, Western allies are watching Johnson closely to see if he will consider Biden’s request for $95 billion in emergency funding for national security needs in Ukraine and abroad.

The Senate earlier this month approved a $95 billion supplemental request, including $60 billion for Ukraine as its military runs out of ammunition to fight Russian President Vladimir Putin. About half of the money from Ukraine will boost American defense production as part of the war effort.

Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in the Oval Office with Biden Johnson and Vice President Kamala Harris. and hosted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The meeting was a buildup to the fact that Johnson, who endorsed Donald Trump in the Republican presidential race, was the only leader reluctant to help Ukraine. Biden took Johnson aside for a private conversation.

Democratic leaders left the meeting describing it as “intense” and blunt about the threats facing Ukraine.

Johnson, who rejected the US-Mexico border security compromise that was ultimately removed from the Senate’s final product, has signaled no change in his position on aid to Ukraine. He said the Senate package “does nothing” to secure the US-Mexico border, a GOP demand in return for aid to Ukraine.

“The nation’s first priority is to secure our border and protect it,” Johnson said.