Washington's battles over government funding ended with a whimper on Thursday as the U.S. Senate approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill that quells for nearly nine months the threat of another federal agency shutdown.
_0">The measure, which funds thousands of government programs from the military to national parks through the September 30 fiscal year-end, passed by a strong, 72-26 majority. President Barack Obama is expected to sign it into law.
The vote came exactly three months after the end of a 16-day government shutdown in October that was waged over disputed funding of "Obamacare," the president's signature health care law.
"We're a little late, but we have gotten the job done," said Senate Appropriations Committee Barbara Mikulski said on the Senate floor.
(Reporting by David Lawder, editing by G Crosse and David Gregorio)