Yesterday the Senate wrapped up work on the last two appropriations bills, eighty-two days after fiscal year 2006 began (which is the deadline to pass appropriations bills). In their desire to wrap up appropriations work, GOP leaders hammered out a resolution enacted by voice vote, which states that once the House approves a modified version of the FY06 Defense appropriations bill, the Labor/HHS conference report would be deemed passed in the Senate. The bill passed funds FY 2006 health, education and labor programs, as well as defense authorization legislation. It also includes a six-month extension of the Patriot Act. The Labor/HHS bill is $1.5 billion less than it was last year, and this cut is before the across-the-board spending cuts are enacted this year. The final Defense bill did not include ANWR language. Senate Democrats put up a fight to keep it out of the bill, effectively thwarting the attempts of Senator Stevens (R-AK) and a few others to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil drilling. The Senate ended up voting 93-0 to approve the defense bill without the drilling authority. Senate Republicans were also able to push through a $40 billion budget cuts bill yesterday. The vote was 51-50, with VP Dick Cheney casting the tie-breaking vote. Even though the Senate passed this bill, Democrats were able to use a parliamentary objection to strike three small provisions from the bill, which means it will need to go back to the House for a final vote sometime in January. Washington Post: Senate Approves Cuts, But Not Drilling New York Times: Arctic Drilling Opponents Cheer Nip-and-Tuck Vote