United States lawmakers reach agreement to fund govt until Feb 18

Lawmakers in the US Congress have reached agreement to fund federal agencies until February 18, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro said on Thursday, as they scramble to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend.

“Agreement has been reached on a Continuing Resolution,” DeLauro said in a statement. She said the measure would be filed in the House of Representatives, though it was not clear how soon the funding measure would reach the floor of the House.

The Congress has until midnight on Friday to pass a measure that would continue funding federal government operations during the pandemic, amid concerns about a new rise in Covid-19 cases and the arrival of Omicron variant in the US.