The Senate voted 74-20 today in favor of a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that will fund Federal government operations through Dec. 20. The CR will go to President Trump’s desk for signature.
The CR includes money for the Census Bureau’s decennial count, a 3.1 percent pay raise for military service members, and an extension of expiring healthcare programs.
“Fully funding the federal government through December 20 will allow Congress to continue to negotiate in good faith and complete the fiscal year 2020 appropriations process,” Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement. “Importantly, this bill provides the necessary funds to carry out the decennial census, a pay raise for the women and men of our military, and blocks a looming and devastating cut to an important infrastructure program that every state in our country relies on.”
Ahead of today’s midnight deadline for government funding expiring, the House passed the CR by a vote of 231-192 on Nov. 19. That same day, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he was going to back the bill to continue work on differences in appropriations.
“What is needed in the near term is to keep the government open for the next several weeks while this work goes on,” Sen. McConnell said in a floor speech.
