WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate could pass a temporary government funding bill as soon as Thursday, which would avert partial government shutdowns that otherwise would begin on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday.
“With cooperation from our Republican colleagues, the Senate can finish its work of keeping the government open as soon as tomorrow. There is every reason in the world to get to ‘yes,'” Schumer said in a Senate speech.
Once the Senate approves the bill that would extend government-wide funding through Dec. 16, the House of Representatives is expected to promptly take up and pass the bill.
There is strong bipartisan support in the Senate for the measure, which cleared a procedural hurdle late on Tuesday on a 72-23 vote.
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Richard Cowan; Editing by Nick Macfie)
