The Senate approved a bill on Wednesday that will provide $984 billion dollars to fund the government through September, preventing a partial government shutdown.  The bill will also lessen the impact of the sequester budget cuts that took affect at the beginning of March.

 

The measure, which was passed in a 73-26 vote, is a modification of the House's $1.043 trillion budget plan passed two weeks ago. It will reduce the damage done by the sequester cuts to several federal programs, including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, and NASA.  

 

But despite the bipartisan approval, there are still voices of dissent from major Senators.  Sen. John McCain protested the inclusion of several projects in the bill, including Pentagon alternative energy research and infrastructure renovations in Guam.

 

The bill will now go to the House and can face a vote as early as Thursday.  Lawmakers hope to send the bill to President Obama by the end of the week. Starting Friday, Congress will go on a two-week break, which would go past the March 27 deadline that would result in the shutdown.

 

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