The Senate overcame its first procedural hurdle Tuesday night to ward off a partial shutdown on Saturday, advancing another two-tiered stopgap spending bill that would kick government funding deadlines into March.
In a 68-13 vote, the upper chamber advanced the measure, which would fund parts of the government through March 1 and March 8. With federal cash expiring in a matter of days for the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Energy and more, much will hinge on whether the Senate can come to an agreement to quickly pass the stopgap, which requires consent from all 100 senators.
