Senate passes government funding legislation, averting a partial shutdown

(CNN) — The Senate passed a government funding package early Saturday morning, averting a partial shutdown and ending a lengthy fight that has loomed over both sides of Capitol Hill for months.The legislation will next be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law, which he’s expected to do Saturday.The vote marks a major moment on Capitol Hill as it brings to a close an annual appropriations process that has dragged on far longer than is typical – an effort that has been punctuated by partisan policy disagreements and a historic change of leadership in the House after conservatives ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in an unprecedented vote last year.While final passage came after the midnight deadline, the Senate’s action effectively prevented any lapse in funding or government function, and the federal government is now funded through the end of the fiscal year.The Senate’s vote comes after the end of a tumultuous day on Capitol Hill, highlighting how narrow the majorities are in both chambers are and how high tensions are running among lawmakers. Immediately after the House voted to pass the legislation the Senate is considering, firebrand Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a motion...