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The Senate on Thursday approved a stopgap extension of government funding through March 11, giving lawmakers three more weeks to work out a full-year spending deal.
The vote was 65-27.
With lawmakers racing this week to meet a Friday deadline — current funding was set to expire — and eager to leave town ahead of the Presidents’ Day holiday — the process was slowed by a number of Republicans demanding votes on amendments to the funding bill.
An amendment by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah would have blocked federal funds from being used to enforce the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates. It failed, 46-47.
An amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas sought to prevent federal money from going to schools, child care centers, or Head Start programs with vaccine requirements. It was rejected in a 44-49 vote.
The final amendment, from Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, would have required lawmakers to balance the federal budget unless two-thirds of senators agreed to waive or suspend that provision. That amendment needed 60 votes but was rejected, 47-45.
Blocking the amendments proved challenging as Senate Democrats were missing three lawmakers from the chamber. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico is currently recovering from a stroke and is not expected back in Washington in the next month.
Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Mark Kelly of Arizona were both out of town managing family emergencies.
Ultimately some Republicans — Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma — were also missing from the chamber, evening out the numbers and allowing Democrats to move the vote forward.
The House passed its version of the funding bill earlier this month. The legislation will now go to the White House, where President Biden is expected to sign it on Friday.
