Now that the Senate has passed the measure it can be sent to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. In the Senate, Republican demands and Democratic absences threatened to complicate the effort to lock in a final and bring action down to the wire as the February 18 funding deadline neared. But leaders from both parties projected confidence there would not be a shutdown and ultimately a final vote to pass the measure went forward Thursday evening. Senate Republican Whip John Thune of South Dakota said on Wednesday afternoon that bipartisan negotiators were closing in on an agreement over how to process a series of amendments to the funding bill. And that’s our path — is to avert a government shutdown,” principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

Source: CNN February 18, 2022 03:53 UTC