Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on six appropriations bills funding several federal government agencies, setting a short-term stopgap measure to extend government funding and avoid a partial shutdown before Friday's deadline. The agreement, announced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, will be voted on and passed before March 8.

The deal includes extending funding to the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice and Science, Energy and Water, Interior, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development until March 8. Meanwhile, the funding deadline for Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Financial Services, State and Foreign Ops, and Legislative Branch agencies will be extended through March 22 as negotiators work on a broader agreement to fully fund the government through the fiscal year ending in September.

The House plans to vote on a one-week stopgap measure on Thursday to avert a partial government shutdown, following House Speaker Johnson's proposal to move funding deadlines from March 1 to March 8 for four agencies and to March 22 for the rest after a meeting at the White House on Tuesday. This approach aims to allow sufficient time for the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to finalize the funding deal and for members to review the agreement before the deadlines.