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.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
