No Shutdown!
Senate Passes Funding Bill by 54-36 vote
The Senate passed a seven-month Continuing Resolution to avert a government shutdown on Friday afternoon.
The bill now goes to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
Senate Democrats were split on the vote to call cloture, ending the filibuster and allowing a vote in the CR itself. A cloture vote requires sixty votes, where a bill like the CR only requires a simple majority.
Nine Democrats and one Independent joined with Republicans on the cloture vote of 62-38. Democrats who joined with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in voting for cloture were Senators John Fetterman (PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (NM), Bryan Schatz (HI), Dick Durbin (IL), Maggie Hassan (NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (and Y), Gary Peters (MI) and Janine Shaheen (NH). Angie King (I-ME) also voted for cloture.
Notably, Democrats Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Cory Booker (NJ) voted against Minority Leader Schumer. Both are members of the Senate Democrat leadership team, which reflects the deep division within the party over this issue.
Following the cloture vote, the CR passed by a vote of 53-46, largely along party lines. Senator Rand Paul (KY) was the sole Republican to vote “no,” while Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Angus King (I-ME) voted “yes” with the Republican majority.
President Trump is expected to sign the bill well before the 11:59 PM deadline, averting a government shutdown.
