The Senate voted on Wednesday to approve a budget framework that would set top-line appropriations numbers for the next two years, laying the groundwork to avoid government shutdowns over that time period.
The agreement, brokered by Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., cleared the Senate by a 64-36 vote. Nine Republicans voted with Democrats to send the measure to the president’s desk.
Three Republicans who voted “yes” on cloture Wednesday voted “no” against the final agreement: Roy Blunt of Missouri, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Jeff Flake of Arizona.
“This bill isn’t exactly what I would have written on my own, and I’m pretty sure it’s not what Chairman Ryan would have written on his own. It’s a compromise—and that means neither side got everything they wanted, and both sides had to give a bit,” Murray said on the Senate floor before final passage. “I am hopeful this deal can be a foundation for continued bipartisan work, because we have so many big challenges we need to tackle for the families and communities we represent.”
The Senate then proceed to a vote on cloture for the annual defense authorization bill in its efforts to wrap its work before Christmas.
