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Senate approves deal to lift debt ceiling 3 months, sends hurricane relief funds

The Senate approved bills that paired emergency funding for hurricane relief with measures that would raise the debt ceiling and keep the government open for th...
Fuel truck escorted by Florida Highway Patrol

(CNN) — The Senate approved Thursday a package of bills that paired emergency funding for hurricane relief with measures that would raise the debt ceiling and keep the government open for three months.

The vote was 80-17. All 17 nos were Republicans.

The legislation now goes to the House, which could vote as early as Thursday night.

President Donald Trump, in a surprising move, signed onto the package Wednesday, siding with Democrats who proposed bundling the bills together but only with a three-month extension for the debt ceiling. Republican leaders had sought a debt limit increase for as long as 18 months.

All told, the package includes about $22 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund, $15.25 billion of which is new, emergency funds, while another $6.7 billion was already slated to be in the spending measure that funds the government.

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