Senate Passes $1.3 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill, Averting Shutdown

The Senate passed a $1.3 trillion spending package late Thursday to keep the government running ahead of a Friday night shutdown deadline. The omnibus spending measure, which had faced opposition from some GOP lawmakers, passed with a 65-32 vote and will fund the government through Sept. 30. The House had passed the legislation earlier Thursday with a 256-167 vote, less than 24 hours after the 2,000-plus page bill was released. But it faced some staunch GOP opposition in the Senate, where Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) spent much of the day criticizing what he called the “crumnibus” spending plan. Several Republicans had slammed the legislation for what they saw as wasteful spending. President Trump has reportedly already agreed to sign the bill, which also includes new sanctions against Russia.