The Senate on Thursday passed a two-step stopgap to keep the government funded into March, as lawmakers try to quickly tie up their funding work ahead of a looming shutdown deadline and forecasts of inclement weather on Friday. The Senate voted 77-18 to pass the bill on Thursday afternoon, sending the legislation to the House, which is expected to vote later in the day.
As part of the previous stopgap measure passed in November, Congress faces a Jan. 19 deadline to extend funding for agencies that fall under four of the 12 annual funding bills or risk a partial government shutdown. The latest continuing resolution (CR) pushes the funding deadline for the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Energy, for the Food and Drug Administration to March 1. It also pushes the funding deadline for the remaining government agencies, including the departments of Defense, Labor and Education, from Feb. 2 to March 2. Read more