Minutes before a deadline, President Joe Biden signed into law a measure ensuring funding until 17 November.

However, it excludes any new aid for Ukraine, which was a key demand of Democrats.

In defiance of hard-liners in his own party, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy submitted the bill.

Tens of thousands of federal employees would be furloughed without pay and various government services would be suspended on Sunday at 00:01 ET (04:01 GMT). In a dramatic turn of events on Saturday afternoon, Mr McCarthy decided to put the temporary funding measure to a vote.

It includes funding for natural disasters, but does not make major concessions on spending levels, as Republicans control the lower house.

As many as 90 House Republicans voted against the bill, which was backed by more Democrats than Republicans.

A small group of right-wing Republicans had held up negotiations in the chamber by demanding spending cuts and no new aid for Ukraine.

As the House adjourned immediately after the vote, the Senate, which had agreed its own bill that included aid for Ukraine, had no choice but to take up the House legislation. Nine senators – all Republicans – voted against it.

It was not McCarthy’s intention to reach a last-minute agreement; he told reporters that he “tried to pass the most conservative stopgap measure possible”, but “we didn’t have 218 Republicans”.