With just hours to spare, the Senate narrowly avoided a government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies through 11 December. The bill, which now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature, would also provide nearly $8 billion for nutrition assistance programmes, replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and stipulate some Congressional oversight of spending through CCC.

National Farmers Union (NFU) President released the following statement in response to the news:

“Today’s passage of the continuing resolution is an immense relief to farmers, who depend on federally-funded programs to access loans, technical support, and critical market and climate data. These services are always essential but are particularly so right now as we all cope with the added challenges the pandemic has introduced.

"Simply put, farmers and rural communities can’t afford a shutdown, and we appreciate Congress’s efforts to prevent that from happening. We strongly urge President Trump to sign this bill, which will not only will this bill keep the government running for the next few months, but also help hungry Americans access food and prevent oil corporations from taking advantage of programmes meant to assist farmers.”