WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (AFP) - The US Congress approved a stopgap funding bill Saturday in a rare show of cross-party unity to keep federal agencies running for another 45 days and avert a damaging government shutdown.

With the clock ticking down to the midnight Saturday deadline, the Senate voted 88 to 9 to keep the lights on through mid-November with a resolution that had already advanced from the House, sending it to President Joe Biden to sign into law before the 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT) deadline.

The House voted 335-91 to fund the government through Nov. 17, with more Democrats than Republicans supporting it.

Photo from AP