The U.S. Senate voted 81-18 Wednesday night to approve a compromise agreement that would end the federal shutdown, fund the government until January 15 and extend the debt limit until February 7.
The measure now moves on to the House of Representatives for a vote.
The compromise was completed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after a House effort to offer a counter-proposal nearly derailed Senate negotiations.
The final agreement makes only insignificant changes to the president’s health care law, by requiring income verification for people receiving health care subsidies from the government.
And it also authorizes a bipartisan committee of negotiators to hammer out a long-term budget deal by Dec. 13, before government funding runs out again in January.
