Legislation to prevent government shutdown has been approved by Congress, providing short-term funding for federal agencies until March. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the Senate and will avoid disruption to essential services like food inspections and air traffic control. President Biden must sign the bill for it to become law, preventing harmful effects on the American people. Negotiators are working on approving the remaining spending bills for the federal budget, with some Republicans pushing for reduced spending on non-defence programs. Further battles are expected in the coming weeks as Congress works to finalise funding levels for various programs.