Senate sends Biden bill averting federal shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has sent President Joe Biden a bill averting a weekend government shutdown. The measure will keep agencies afloat through March 11, 2022. Leaders hope that will give bipartisan bargainers enough time to finally reach a deal financing federal agencies until fall. Without the current legislation, federal spending authority would have expired Saturday (Feb. 19, 2022). The House approved the legislation last week. The process has had minimal drama, with neither party believing it would benefit by forcing an election-year shutdown. Before final passage, the Senate rejected Republican amendments that would have blocked federal vaccine mandates and halted federal funds for schools with vaccine mandates.