Senate looks to speed ahead on temporary funding to avert government shutdown through the holidays

abcnews.go.com:

The Senate is pushing toward a vote on a temporary government funding package as lawmakers seek to keep the holiday season free from any suspense over a government shutdown

WASHINGTON — The Senate was pushing toward a vote Wednesday night on a temporary government funding package as lawmakers sought to keep the holiday season free from any suspense over a government shutdown.

Senators were trying to speed forward on the funding package one day after it passed the House on an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Passage would push a final confrontation on the government budget into the new year, when the House and Senate will be forced to confront — and somehow overcome — their considerable differences over what funding levels should be.

In the meantime, both top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate appeared ready to avert a shutdown and pass the temporary funding patch well before government funding expires Saturday.

“No drama, no delay, no government shutdown. That’s our goal,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech Wednesday morning.

Negotiations on advancing the bill to a final vote in the chamber were held up over a disagreement on how to proceed on a separate defense authorization bill, but senators still hoped to reach an agreement to pass the funding bill Wednesday night.

“Everybody is really kind of ready to vote and fight another day,” Republican Whip John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, said earlier Wednesday.

The spending package would keep government funding at current levels for roughly two more months while a long-term package is negotiated. It splits the deadlines for passing full-year appropriations bills into two dates: Jan. 19 for some federal agencies and Feb. 2 for others, creating two