The Senate voted Tuesday evening to approve a $410 billion spending omnibus bill to fund the federal government through the end of the current fiscal year.
The Senate voted 62-35 to invoke cloture on the bill, HR 1105, ending debate on a series of amendments. The omnibus was approved by a voice vote.
Republicans had proposed a series of amendments, and Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., allowed several to go to the floor for debate, hoping a few Republicans would then decide to cross party lines vote for the bill. No amendments were approved, including one that would have repealed a law giving members of Congress an automatic pay raise every year.
All agencies except for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs have been operating under a continuing resolution since Oct. 1, 2008. That CR was set to expire March 6, but Congress voted that day to extend the CR until Wednesday, buying the Senate time to sway a few Republicans to vote for the bill.
