Senate Passes $1.7 Trillion Government Funding Bill to Avert Shutdown

The Senate voted Thursday to pass a massive $1.7 trillion government spending bill that will fund critical government operations across federal agencies and provide emergency aid for Ukraine and natural disaster relief. The House must next pass the measure as lawmakers race the clock to avert a shutdown at the end of the week.

The expectation on Capitol Hill is that a shutdown will be avoided, but congressional leaders have little room for error with government funding set to expire at the end of the day Friday. Once the House passes the bill it will be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The final vote tally in the Senate was 68-29.

In order to give enough time for the year-long bill to be formally processed and sent to Biden, the Senate will pass a week-long government funding bill by unanimous consent later Thursday, Senate Republican Whip John Thune told reporters.

The House is expected to do the same.

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