U.S. lawmakers agree on funding deal to prevent pre-election shutdown

U.S. lawmakers announced a deal on September 22 to extend government funding until December 20, avoiding a shutdown before the upcoming election. This agreement excludes controversial voting provisions that had been pushed by some Republicans. The funding extension comes as Congress has not reached a full-year budget agreement. The previous attempt to link funding with voter identification requirements failed in the House. The new bill will also allocate $231 million for the U.S. Secret Service and $47 million for security during the presidential inauguration. The House is expected to vote on the bill this week.