The Senate voted 64 to 23 Wednesday to advance a spending measure that will avert a government shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 9.
Lawmakers made the breakthrough just one day after Democrats overwhelmingly defeated the measure.
A late-night agreement to move forward with aid for Flint, Michigan as part of a separate water bill paved the way for the spending measure, technically a continuing resolution (CR), to advance in the Senate. Tuesday, Democrats had boycotted the CR over the fact that it included aid for Louisiana flooding victims but not for residents of Flint who have been grappling with a lead water crisis for two years.
On Tuesday evening the House finally voted to allow Flint aid to come up as an an amendment on the water resources bill moving through the House. That seemed to be enough to do the trick.
The spending bill was the last thing lawmakers had to finish before returning home to campaign for the upcoming election. Soon, the continuing resolution will move to the House of Representatives where it is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
