Senate passes 2020 funding bills

With a day left before the current stopgap spending measure expires, the Senate advanced two bills to avert a shutdown and keep government open through the end of fiscal year 2020.

In the early afternoon, the Senate passed an $555 billion eight-bill minibus package that funds civilian government departments including Health and Human Services, Interior, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Energy and the legislative branch. The bill also funds the Department of State and foreign operations. The bill passed by a vote of 71 to 23.

Later in the day, the Senate passed an $845 billion four-bill package that includes funding for defense, homeland security and law enforcement as well as general government measures. That measure includes the 2.6% pay raise for civilian federal employees and a 0.5% average bump in locality pay. The bill passed by a vote of 81 to 11.

The House passed both bills earlier in the week. The bills go to President Donald Trump for his signature. The continuing resolution currently funding the government expires at midnight on Dec. 20.