The Senate approved a stopgap continuing resolution Thursday to avoid a looming government shutdown when fiscal 2020 kicks off next week, The Hill reported.
The temporary spending bill cleared the upper chamber on an 82-15 vote and will be sent to the White House to be signed into law.
If signed, the measure would extend fiscal 2019 spending through Nov. 21, allowing lawmakers an additional eight weeks to complete FY 2020 appropriations.
The Senate also rejected an amendment from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that would have reduced spending to help fund the stopgap bill, according to the report.
“As we close out this month, I think, we must acknowledge the progress we have made while also recognizing that we still have a long way to go in fulfilling our duty to fund the government,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), according to CQ.
Shelby planned to meet with the White House Thursday to discuss the appropriations process and said he would likely be the only lawmaker attending, along with acting White House Chief of Staff Mitch Mulvaney and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, according to CQ.
“I’m going down tomorrow to see the president and talk to him about where we are in appropriations, how we can move forward, what are the possibilities,” Shelby told reporters Wednesday, according to Politico.
“How do we get off the dime here?” Shelby said. “How do we move the bills and how do we fund the government and avoid continuing resolutions, if not shutdowns?”