Senate sends funding bill to Trump to avert shutdown

The Senate on Thursday easily cleared a two-week stopgap funding bill, one day before the deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

Senators voted 81-14 on the legislation, which cleared the House earlier in the day.

The bill now heads to the White House, where President TrumpDonald John Trump Trump calls Sri Lankan prime minister following church bombings Ex-Trump lawyer: Mueller knew Trump had to call investigation a 'witch hunt' for 'political reasons' The biggest challenge from the Mueller Report depends on the vigilance of everyone MORE is expected to sign it.

Six Republicans, seven Democrats and Sen. Bernie SandersBernard (Bernie) Sanders The biggest challenge from the Mueller Report depends on the vigilance of everyone GOP Senate campaign arm hits battleground-state Dems over 'Medicare for All,' Green New Deal Warren unveils plan to cancel student loan debt, create universal free college MORE (I-Vt.) voted against the legislation.

Congress had until the end of Friday to pass a bill or spark a government shutdown — something GOP leadership has been adamant they would not let happen while they control the levers of power in Washington.

Lawmakers now face another deadline on Dec. 22, setting up a funding showdown just three days before Christmas.

Top GOP senators urged their colleagues to support the legislation despite grumbling among some in the caucus about the impact a continuing resolution has on military spending.

“We need this legislation to give Congress and the administration additional time to agree on responsible spending levels for the current fiscal year and beyond. ... I hope the Dec. 22 backstop will facilitate an agreement that will enable the Congress to provide funding for important national security and domestic priorities,” Sen. Thad CochranWilliam (Thad) Thad Cochran Top 5 races to watch in 2019 Bottom Line Races Dems narrowly lost show party needs to return to Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy MORE (R-Miss.), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said shortly before the Thursday evening vote.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell The Mueller report is a deterrent to government service Senate Republicans tested on Trump support after Mueller Anti-smoking advocates question industry motives for backing higher purchasing age MORE (R-Ky.) said the stopgap measure would “provide us with the time we need to complete discussions on a long-term solution.”

But Sen. John McCainJohn Sidney McCain 10 factors making Russia election interference the most enduring scandal of the Obama era Earth Day founder's daughter: Most Republican leaders believe in climate change in private Trump gives nod to vulnerable GOP Sen. McSally with bill signing MORE (R-Ariz.), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said it was "unacceptable" that Congress was passing the stopgap bill.

"I have implored Congress and the White House to negotiate a bipartisan budget agreement, because without one, the military will be funded under a Continuing Resolution at the Budget Control Act levels," he said.

Senate Republicans can’t pass a government funding bill on their own, and needed consent from Democrats to speed up debate of the legislation to meet Friday’s deadline.

Democratic leadership remained tight-lipped throughout the week about if they would support a continuing resolution as they looked for leverage in negotiations on a final, year-end spending package.

“I don’t know. I think this is likely to pass,” Sen. Dick DurbinRichard (Dick) Joseph Durbin Durbin calls Mueller report findings on Trump team 'troubling' Congress opens door to fraught immigration talks McConnell: 'Past time' for immigration-border security deal MORE (D-Ill.) told reporters in the lead up to Thursday’s vote.

Negotiators are hoping to get a deal on the budget caps before the Dec. 22 deadline.

An agreement would likely allow lawmakers to pass another continuing resolution into January and use the time to craft a "omnibus" spending bill that would fund the government through the rest of the 2018 fiscal year.

If lawmakers aren't able to get a deal on the budget, sequestration is set to start in mid-January, which will spark automatic spending cuts.

McConnell, Minority Leader Charles Schumer

Charles (Chuck) Ellis Schumer Hillicon Valley: House Dems subpoena full Mueller report | DOJ pushes back at 'premature' subpoena | Dems reject offer to view report with fewer redactions | Trump camp runs Facebook ads about Mueller report | Uber gets B for self-driving cars Dem legal analyst says media 'overplayed' hand in Mueller coverage Former FBI official praises Barr for 'professional' press conference MORE (D-N.Y.), Speaker Paul Ryan

Paul Davis Ryan Appeals court rules House chaplain can reject secular prayers FEC filing: No individuals donated to indicted GOP rep this cycle The Hill's Morning Report - Waiting on Mueller: Answers come on Thursday MORE (R-Wis.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi Trump pushes back on impeachment talk: 'Tables are finally turning on the Witch Hunt!' Moulton enters 2020 White House race Trump takes aim at Dem talk of impeachment MORE (D-Calif.) met with Trump and Vice President Pence at the White House on Thursday to discuss the looming year-end fight.

McConnell told reporters after the meeting that they did not reach an agreement, with Schumer and Pelosi offering a similar take in a joint statement.

“We had a productive conversation on a wide variety of issues. Nothing specific has been agreed to, but discussions continue," they said.

Democrats want an equal increase in defense and nondefense spending, as well as an extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The Trump administration announced earlier this year that it was nixing DACA, which allows immigrants brought into the country as children to live and work. The program will expire in March.

Trump's move has sparked a legislative showdown in the Senate.

Democrats, who say the issue needs to be dealt with by the end of the year, want Republicans to pass a deal that links the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act with border security.

Republicans, and the White House, counter that an immigration deal will not be included in the funding bill.

Sen. James LankfordJames Paul Lankford How Republicans are battling judicial obstructionism today GOP gets used to saying 'no' to Trump GOP to go 'nuclear' with rules change for Trump nominations MORE (R-Okla.), who introduced legislation that would include a path to citizenship, said on Thursday that lawmakers didn't have time to reach an agreement by the end of the year.