On the morning of February 29, Vietnam time, US congressional leaders agreed to extend some funding bills until the end of March to allow more time for negotiations on spending by government departments, branches and agencies.

According to CNN, US congressional leaders have agreed to extend funding for six full spending bills for the departments of Agriculture, Justice, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development until March 8. The agreement will also extend six remaining annual funding bills, including spending bills for the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and other offices until March 22.

In a joint statement with the heads of the appropriations committees in both houses of Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said: “We agree that Congress must work in a bipartisan way to fund our government.”

This would be the fourth stopgap spending measure passed for fiscal year 2024. Both chambers of Congress still need to vote on the proposal. Under the current stopgap spending bill, funding for four of the 12 full-year spending bills expires on March 1, while funding for the remaining eight expires on March 8.

KHANH HUNG