Senate backs bill to avert shutdown, boost military spending

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

The Senate on Tuesday approved a wide-ranging, $854 billion bill that funds the military and a host of civilian agencies for the next year and provides a short-term fix to keep the government open through early December.

The measure includes $675 billion for the Defense Department and boosts military pay by 2.6 percent, the largest pay raise in nine years. The bill also approves spending for Health and Human Services, Education, Labor and other agencies, including a 5 percent boost for the National Institutes of Health.

Senators approved the bill 93-7. The measure now goes to the House, where lawmakers are expected to approve it next week, days ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline for a government shutdown.

The stopgap bill would not address President Donald Trump’s long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. GOP leaders have said they’d prefer to resolve the issue after the Nov. 6 elections.

The Senate vote comes as House and Senate negotiators work to approve a separate spending bill that would pay for the Interior, Agriculture, Transportation and other departments, as well as the Treasury and federal courts.

When combined with a measure approved last week, the three compromise spending bills would account for nearly 90 percent of annual federal spending, including the military and most civilian agencies.