The Senate cleared a stopgap funding extension early Saturday shortly after a midnight deadline, staving off a partial government shutdown and ending days of gridlock over a package whose contents seemed to change by the hour.
Eager to head out of town for the Christmas recess, the Senate won unanimous consent to speed up the legislative clock and clear the measure needed by Friday night, when current funding was set to expire. While final passage technically exceeded the deadline, no shutdown is ordered if a bill is on its way to completion.
The measure, which President Joe Biden plans to sign, would extend current funding through March 14 and provide about $110 billion in disaster and farm aid.
