WASHINGTON (TIP): To everybody’s relief, Congress has once again averted a government shutdown — with a short-term funding measure through mid-January — and temporarily extended funding for health insurance for children from low-income families.

The House voted 231-188 Thursday to approve a short-term spending bill that would fund most government programs at current levels through Jan. 19.

The Senate quickly followed suit, passing the bill on a 66-32 vote.

Congress was forced to act because the government was scheduled to run out of money at midnight Friday, raising the possibility of a partial shutdown heading into Christmas.

Temporary funding is needed because Congress has been unable to agree on long-term government spending levels since the 2017 fiscal year ended last September. Instead, the government has been operating on a series of short-term extensions of last year’s budget.

The measure approved Thursday, December 21, keeps the government operating for a few more weeks but puts off until next year a number of tough decisions, including the reinstatement of government subsidies for health insurers providing coverage to low-income clients and protections for young Americans brought into the United States illegally by their parents.