Senate Passes Disaster Relief Bill Despite GOP Misgivings Over Trump Deal

The Senate easily passed a $15 billion disaster relief bill Thursday that would also keep the government open for an additional three months and lift the debt ceiling to keep the U.S. Treasury from defaulting. Despite misgivings by Republicans over the deal cut between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats to add the extensions, the measure still passed the Senate on a vote of 80 to 17. It will now go back to the House where it is likely to pass before Trump is expected to sign it into law. Republicans were left reeling after Trump sided with Democrats in a meeting Wednesday on what a disaster aid package should look like. It gave Congress just a three month reprieve on the debt limit, forcing Republicans to vote on the controversial measure twice.