Senate OKs Revenue Sharing

The Senate voted 82 to 3 today to approve $4.2 billion for federal revenue sharing to local governments after a 16-hour struggle to meet budget guidelines in the spending bill.

Senate approval of the revenue sharing funds was part of a compromise that also included $9.2 billion for veterans’ health care. After voting on those two issues, senators passed 76 to 9 a $53-billion appropriations bill for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and 17 independent agencies. It will go to a conference with the House, which has passed a $55-billion version of the bill.