ammonnews.net

Ammon News - The US Senate approved the $1.2 trillion package, which was unveiled early Thursday in a vote of 74 to 24. Hours earlier, it advanced out of the House in a 286 to 134 vote.

The Senate slipped past the deadline after an hourslong standoff on amendment votes. Shortly before midnight, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, announced the upper chamber had finally reached an agreement that would allow them to expedite the bill's passage. Republicans demanded votes on amendments in exchange for speeding up the process. Without an agreement, the soonest the Senate could vote is Sunday.

The missed deadline was not expected to have any effect on government operations. The White House said agencies would not shut down and could continue their normal operations, since it was clear that a resolution was imminent and that President Biden would sign the bill later Saturday.

The package wraps six spending bills into one to fund about three-quarters of the government until the end of the fiscal year. The bill includes money for the departments of State, Homeland Security, Defense, Labor and Health and Human Services, as well as funds for foreign operations, financial services and the legislative branch. Another package funding the rest of the government cleared Congress two weeks ago.

Its passage allows Congress to shift its focus to other priorities, including next year's spending bills that need to be signed into law by October and foreign aid to U.S. allies that has been in limbo for months.

CBS