US Congress releases $1.1tn spending package to avert shutdown

Speaker Johnson will have to rely on Democratic votes to get the measure through the House and to the Senate in less than two days

After days of delay, US congressional leaders unveiled a $1.1tn bipartisan spending measure for defense, homeland security and other programs early on Thursday, giving lawmakers less than two days to avert a partial government shutdown.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives will vote on the sprawling package on Friday, leaving the Democratic-majority Senate only hours to pass the package of six bills that covers about two-thirds of the $1.66tn in discretionary government spending for the fiscal year that began on 1 October.