by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:15 PM ET, Thu September 29, 2016
On Wednesday, congress sent President Barack Obama a bill that would help avoid a government shutdown and provide $1.1 billion in long-delayed funding to the fight against the Zika virus.
According to The Associated Press, the United States House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 342-85 just a few hours after the Senate cleared the measure. In addition to the Zika funding and the avoidance of a government shutdown, the bill will also provide funding to Flint, Michigan, in order to address the city's water crisis.
The temporary spending bill also includes $500 million of assistance to flood-ravaged Louisiana and other states.
Pending the approval of President Obama-which the White House says is a foregone conclusion-the government will continue operating through Dec. 9. The passing of the bill comes just three days before deadline.
The normally routine process of passing a temporary spending bill was complicated by the battles between Republicans and Democrats ahead of the upcoming elections, but the much-needed Zika funding has finally been passed.
Part of the reason the funding was finally approved was compromises made by both parties, including making Planned Parenthood eligible for new anti-Zika funding in Puerto Rico and the allowance of a $400 million package of spending cuts.
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