The US Senate passed the budget bill after midnight.

US senators missed a midnight deadline to pass a $1.2 trillion budget bill to keep some key government agencies running but voted early on March 23 to pass the bill, according to AFP.

"It wasn't easy, but tonight our persistence paid off," Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after hours of tense negotiations.

“It’s great for the American people that we’ve reached a bipartisan agreement to get this done,” Schumer added before the bill was given final approval.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a press conference in Washington DC on March 20.

A dramatic day began in the US Congress when the House of Representatives passed a $1.2 trillion budget bill at lunchtime on March 22, representing the largest and most controversial part of the federal budget.

With three-quarters of government agencies running out of cash by midnight, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, the US Senate was forced to race against time to get the bill to President Joe Biden's desk.

But budget talks appear to be breaking down as both sides scramble to tailor the bill to reflect their campaign messaging and priorities ahead of the US presidential election in November, when President Biden will face off against former President Donald Trump.

However, a deal was reached just as the midnight deadline approached and the US Senate voted to pass the bill just after 2am on March 23 (US time).

"The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has stopped preparations for a shutdown because it has high confidence that Congress will soon pass the relevant appropriations and that the president will sign the bill on Saturday (March 23)," the White House said in a statement after the deal was signed.

Hours earlier, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson angered his right-wing base by relying on Democratic votes to advance the bill to the Senate.

The bill was opposed by hardline Republican lawmakers, who voted against it. The bill passed with 185 Democrats and 101 Republicans in support.

The bill's passage has caused major conflict within the Republican Party and put Mr. Johnson at risk of losing his position as Speaker of the House.

In October 2023, then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy was also removed from office after his party's conservatives reacted angrily to the passage of a temporary budget to help the government avoid a shutdown.

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