WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a short-term spending bill that would extend government funding until March, as funding for some federal agencies and programs is set to expire on Saturday.

       The upper chamber voted 77-18 to approve the bill, paving the way for action of the House of Representatives later Thursday.

       "The Senate has just passed the bill to fund the government and avoid an unnecessary shutdown," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

       It's the third stopgap funding measure this Congress has approved - first in September and again in November.

       In November 2023, the Congress approved a stopgap spending bill that would extend funding for some federal agencies and programs at current levels until Jan. 19, 2024, and others through Feb. 2.

       Earlier this month, House and Senate leaders reached an agreement on a short-term spending deal that would move upcoming government funding deadlines to March 1 and March 8, respectively, buying legislators more time to craft longer-term spending bills.

       The latest development in the Senate came a few days after several hard-right House Republicans pressured House Speaker Mike Johnson to drop the spending deal he previously reached with Schumer.

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       The House Freedom Caucus, a hard-line conservative group, has been attempting to add border security provisions in the "clean" stopgap measure, and met with Johnson in his office earlier Thursday, just hours before the measure is scheduled to go on the House floor.

       Raj Shah, deputy chief for communication for the House speaker, however, said Thursday afternoon on X that the plan has not changed. "The House is voting on the stopgap measure tonight to keep the government open."

       Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget, recently said in a statement that the stopgap spending bill would hopefully allow Congress to pass appropriations bills in the next few weeks before the continuing resolution runs out.

       "Congress should now work to pass individual appropriations bills rather than a gigantic omnibus, which can often be accompanied by a slew of other debt-increasing provisions attached to it," said MacGuineas.