In a midnight session, the Senate wrapped up business until after the
elections, clearing must-pass stopgap legislation that will keep the
government funded through March.
The late votes came as the result of an agreement announced earlier in the day by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
The continuing resolution passed the Senate 62-30 after clearing the 60-vote cloture hurdle. The House overwhelmingly passed the bill last week.
The vote takes a potentially politically damaging fight over federal spending and a possible government shutdown off the table, enabling Members to return home and campaign.
Had no deal been reached to set up the early Saturday morning votes, Senators would have been stuck in town through the weekend.
Few Senators spoke to the spending package on the floor Friday, but in a Thursday speech, Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) said he did not like the fact that the Senate could not complete its work on regular spending bills, even though his panel had completed the work of drafting most of them.
"I want my colleagues to know I support this measure even though it is far from perfect. In fact, I would say that it is not a particularly good bill, but passing it is much better than allowing the government to shut down over a lack of funding," Inouye said.
His Republican counterpart, whom Inouye calls the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, expressed similar frustration.
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/senate_approves_cr_leaves_washington_under_cover_of_night-217777-1.html?pos=hftxt
The late votes came as the result of an agreement announced earlier in the day by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
The continuing resolution passed the Senate 62-30 after clearing the 60-vote cloture hurdle. The House overwhelmingly passed the bill last week.
The vote takes a potentially politically damaging fight over federal spending and a possible government shutdown off the table, enabling Members to return home and campaign.
Had no deal been reached to set up the early Saturday morning votes, Senators would have been stuck in town through the weekend.
Few Senators spoke to the spending package on the floor Friday, but in a Thursday speech, Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) said he did not like the fact that the Senate could not complete its work on regular spending bills, even though his panel had completed the work of drafting most of them.
"I want my colleagues to know I support this measure even though it is far from perfect. In fact, I would say that it is not a particularly good bill, but passing it is much better than allowing the government to shut down over a lack of funding," Inouye said.
His Republican counterpart, whom Inouye calls the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, expressed similar frustration.
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/senate_approves_cr_leaves_washington_under_cover_of_night-217777-1.html?pos=hftxt
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