Senate passes three-month CR package

The Senate has voted to pass a stopgap spending measure to avert a government shutdown until Dec. 9.

The 72-26 vote in favor of the continuing resolution authorizes $1.067 trillion in discretionary funding and an Overseas Contingency Operations account of $74.096 billion.

The proposed measure provides $1.1 billion in supplemental funding to combat the Zika virus and $500 million for disaster recovery in Louisiana and other states. Senate Democrats had opposed the measure earlier in the week because it did not offer assistance for Flint, MI, but relented after House Republicans pledged to provide $170 million funding for Flint in a water-projects bill when Congress returns in November.

The House must now approve the CR before the end of the fiscal year on Friday to avoid a government shutdown. (UPDATE: The House approved the bill later that day.)

The CR, if it is approved, will be the eighth such consecutive measure passed by Congress.

Meanwhile, Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord provided the Congressional Research Service with a list of weapons programs slated to be impacted in the likely event that Congress passes a stopgap spending measure in lieu of a fiscal year 2017 defense appropriations bill, according to a recent CRS report.