The Senate passed a spending bill on Friday that will fund agencies until the end of September, avoiding a government shutdown.
A handful of Democrats and one independent allied with the party helped to push it over the line, with the vote at 54 to 46. The bill will now head to President Donald Trump's desk to be signed.
The bill, written by Republicans in the House of Representatives, which passed it earlier this week, reduces spending by about $7 billion from last year's levels. The US military gets about $6 billion more, while non-defence programmes will be cut by $13 billion.
Democrats had expressed anger over the bill, which they said does nothing to stop Mr Trump's campaign, led by businessman Elon Musk, to halt congressionally mandated spending and cut tens of thousands of jobs.
In a government shutdown, which occurs when Congress fails to fund the government, federal agencies are required to halt all non-essential operations, although essential functions will continue. This affects a range of activities, from national parks to passport applications.
On Thursday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that he would reluctantly support the bill.
“A shutdown would allow Doge to shift into overdrive,” Mr Schumer said on the Senate floor on Friday morning, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency effort led by Mr Musk.
More than 60 House Democrats had written a letter to Mr Schumer, urging him to oppose the stopgap measure.
But Democrats have long opposed government shutdowns as causing needless chaos to American families. Those opposing Mr Trump and Mr Musk's federal cuts will now have to look instead to the courts.
Following the shutdown fight, congressional Republicans will turn their attention to a plan to extend and expand Mr Trump's 2017 tax cuts – his major first-term legislative achievement – boost funding for border security and cut spending in other areas, which Democrats warn could imperil the Medicaid healthcare programme for low-income Americans.
