Article snippet: The House and Senate both passed a sweeping spending deal in the early hours of Friday morning – but not before the government technically ran out of money at midnight Thursday, triggering the second shutdown in less than a month. The Senate, which began voting at 1:30 a.m. Friday, approved the deal 71 to 28. The vote was closer in the House, which voted at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, but it passed, 240 to 186. President Donald Trump signed the bill early Friday morning and the shutdown lasted less than nine hours. The brief overnight shutdown also makes Trump the first president since Bill Clinton to preside over two government shutdowns while in office. An Office of Management and Budget official on Friday evening confirmed that there were some furloughs but wouldn't characterize the total estimated number. "While we are still assessing the number of furloughed employees, the President signed a bill that ensures those affected individuals receive back pay," the official said. The package includes a two-year budget package to increase spending caps by $300 billion over two years, and also includes funding to keep the government running through March 23. The Senate vote was delayed until past midnight by Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul — who spoke passionately for hours on the Senate floor Thursday evening as he tried to force a vote on an amendment that would effectively undermine the bipartisan deal. Paul claimed the price tag is too big, and th... Link to the full article to read more