Article snippet: The Senate on Thursday easily cleared a two-week stopgap funding bill, one day before the deadline to avoid a government shutdown. Senators voted cleared the House earlier in the day. The bill now heads to the White House, where MORE is expected to sign it. Six Republicans, seven Democrats and Sen. 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 Thursday evening vote. Majority Leader 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. 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. Thursday’s vote. Sen.... Link to the full article to read more