The Senate passed the CR last night. It is the same as the House version. The President should sign it today to avoid a government shutdown. The Washington Post: Four and a half months after the legal deadline, the Senate gave final approval to a 2007 spending plan that funds almost half the federal government and averts any chance of a government shutdown. By an 81 to 15 vote, the Senate approved a $463.5 billion measure that Republicans had threatened to block out of pique for being denied a chance to offer amendments. In the end, Republicans gave in and overwhelmingly supported the spending bill, which funds a litany of popular domestic programs through Sept. 30.