The Senate passed a $460 billion package of spending bills to avert a partial government shutdown ahead of the first funding deadline Friday.
Lawmakers spent the majority of Friday considering motions related to the slate of bills and debating the package following President Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday night.
The votes were 75-22 in favor, and the package now goes to Biden for him to sign.
FORMER PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITERS REACT TO BIDEN’S ADDRESS
Bills funding Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the Departments of Justice and Commerce, Energy and Water Development, the Department of Interior, and Transportation and Housing for the remainder of fiscal year 2024 were ultimately approved by senators and will head to President Biden’s desk to be signed.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
However, the upper chamber cleared the midnight shutdown deadline by only a number of hours, with a significant faction of mostly Republicans opposing each step of Senate procedure.
On the motion to invoke cloture on the bills to limit debate, which requires a 60-vote threshold in the body, the chamber voted 63-35, only narrowly avoiding a potential filibuster. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, noted on the floor that the choice of many Republicans to oppose cloture on the bill was not because they want to see a shutdown, but because they were denied votes on several amendments, particularly…
