The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a stopgap spending bill Friday, sending it to the Senate, which will would need to pass it ahead of a midnight deadline to avert a US government shutdown. The bill extends current levels of funding until May 5, giving lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Congress one week of breathing room to hash out a broader measure that would fund government operations through September 30, the end of the fiscal year.

The measure was on its way to clearing the House with broad bipartisan support. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer signalled that his Democrats were prepared to not set up procedural roadblocks that would jeopardise the measure's passage before the deadline. "We're willing to extend things for a little more time," Schumer told reporters on Friday. Once it passes Congress, the bill would go to Donald Trump's desk for his signature, avoiding what would be a colossal embarrassment on the 99th day of his presidency if the government were allowed to slide into a partial shutdown.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017