U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a 854-billion-dollar spending bill to avoid a government shutdown in October.
The bill was passed with an overwhelming majority of 361-61, a week after the U.S. Senate passed an identical bill with a 93-7 majority.
The bill provided the U.S. Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education with the funding for the full fiscal year of 2019, as well as two months' funding for other government agencies.
Despite previous threats to force a government shutdown, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would sign the bill, telling reporters at the United Nations "We're going to keep the government open."
The bill allocated 674 billion dollars for the Pentagon. House Appropriations Committee chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen lauded the passing of the bill as the first time in over 10 years the Pentagon were to "receive its full funding on time."
Funding allocated for the Departments of Labor and HHS totaled 180 billion dollars, and was welcomed by Democratic lawmakers for ridding some of the spending plans advocated by Republicans, such as provisions restricting access to abortion and targeting planned parenthood.
The U.S. Congress is working to pass bills that would allocate funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Interior and Transportation, among others.
