Senate Ends Budget Debate, Clearing Way for Passage

BREAKING NEWS Tuesday, December 17, 2013 10:40 AM EST

Senate Ends Budget Debate, Clearing Way for Passage A bipartisan tax-and-spending plan designed to bring some normalcy to Congress’s budgeting after three years of chaos cleared its final hurdle on Tuesday when 67 senators voted to end debate on the measure and bring it to a final vote before it goes to President Obama for his signature. The 67-33 vote easily surpassed the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster and made way for final passage with a simple, 51-vote majority, likely on Wednesday. Republican support was surprisingly strong after days of uncertainty fueled by political posturing and Tea Party opposition. READ MORE » http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/us/politics/budget-deal.html?emc=edit_na_20131217