US Congress passes bill extending government funding until February 18

The US Congress on Thursday approved a short-term spending bill that will keep federal agencies running through February 18, 2022.

Report informs, citing foreign media, that the legislation now goes to President Biden, who needs to sign it before the midnight deadline on Friday to avoid any lapse in funding.

The Senate approved the measure Thursday night, after a threat from some conservative Republicans to delay the bill was averted. The senators aimed to deny funding for the Biden administration's proposed vaccine-or-testing requirements for companies with at least 100 employees.

An amendment on that issue failed, and the chamber proceeded to vote on the spending measure, passing it 69-28.