Funding bill clears Congress, heads for president's desk

This story was updated on March 23 to reflect the Senate vote. 

The $1.3 trillion spending package cleared the Senate in the early hours of March 23, after the House of Representatives passed it on March 22.  The bill now heads for President Donald Trump's desk.  The White House has indicated the president will sign it -- funding the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2018 and averting a government shutdown just hours before the current continuing resolution expires.

The omnibus measure, which would end the string of stopgap funding bills, passed the Senate by a vote of 65 to 32.  The House approved it by a 256 to 167 margin.

The House Freedom Caucus opposed the bill, with its vice-chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) appearing on "Fox and Friends" to say the omnibus "may be the worst bill I have seen in my time in Congress."

 At a press conference following the House's passage, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had said it was "the hope of [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell and myself is that we're going to vote today." However, that had been signs that  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)would demand debate that pushed a final vote into Saturday, prompting another temporary shutdown.  Paul dropped his procedural objections late on March 22, allowing the final vote to proceed.