PANews reported on September 19th that according to US media reports, the US House of Representatives passed a stopgap spending bill aimed at averting a federal government shutdown on October 1st, but this also necessitated a fierce Senate clash over the bill later on Friday. Democrats are expected to veto the bill, citing the need to increase healthcare spending. House Speaker Johnson overcame the dissatisfaction of some Republican colleagues and pushed the bill through with a vote of 217 in favor and 212 against. House Democrats voted almost unanimously against the bill. The Senate plans to consider both the House bill and a "separate stopgap spending bill" proposed by Democratic Leader Schumer later on Friday (which would fund the government until October 31st). Both bills are expected to be rejected, meaning the US government will be stuck in a shutdown impasse less than two weeks before the October 1st deadline.