By wide margins, 72-26 in the Senate and 342-85 in the House, the Congress approved a 10-week funding bill to keep the federal government operating when the new fiscal year begins in October 1st, through December 9th. The Continuing Resolution will continue the FY16 funding levels, decreased by ½ percent to fit under the budget cap.
With both chambers eager to get back out on the campaign trail, battles over other contentious issues were set aside for now, likely to re-emerge in a post-election session. The CR includes $1.1 billion in funding to respond to the Zika virus, $500 million in flood relief for Louisiana and other states, and full fiscal 2017 appropriations for military construction and veterans.