Senate expected to pass continuing resolution later tonight

The first vote of the evening will be held on an amendment offered by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) that would move the expiration of the stopgap measure from Dec. 3 to  Feb. 1.

A second vote will be held on an amendment by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) that calls for an across the board 5 percent cut in non-defense discretionary spending, saving about $22 billion. 

“What I’m proposing is a 5 percent haircut,” Thune said on the floor today. “That’s all.”

Although the House is likely to clear the measure later tonight, House Republicans continued to call for an overall reduction in spending back to 2008 levels. 

House Appropriations ranking member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) has proposed a plan to cut spending back “to pre-bailout and pre-stimulus 2008 levels, which would save the taxpayers nearly $100 billion.” 

The final vote of the pre-election session will be on passage of the bill, avoiding a government shutdown before the new fiscal year begins Friday. 

The vote also brings to a close a shortened legislative session dominated by discussions on whether to extend the Bush-era tax cuts. Decisions on those issues will wait until the lame-duck session, set to begin Nov. 15 in both chambers.