Senate Passes $1.7 Trillion Government Funding Bill

The U.S. Senate passed a $1.7 trillion funding bill that would keep the government from shutting down on Saturday (December 24). The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass despite Republican opposition.

In addition to funding the government, the legislation also overhauls the 1887 Electoral Count Act to make it more difficult to overturn the results of a certified presidential election.

"From start to finish — from top to bottom — this omnibus is bold, generous, far-reaching, and ambitious," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "It’s not everything we would’ve wanted, of course. When you’re dealing in a bipartisan, bicameral way, you have to sit down and get it done, and that means each side has to concede some things."