Washington DC – The US Senate cleared a short-term spending measure Thursday after Democrats beat back several Republican amendments that could have triggered a partial government shutdown this weekend.

The continuing resolution, which passed the House last week, would extend current funding through March 11. It buys lawmakers an extra three weeks to pass an overdue omnibus appropriations package for the fiscal year that began last October.

The Senate sent the stopgap to President Joe Biden’s desk on a 65-27 vote, with one day to spare before all current funding for federal departments and agencies is set to expire.

The final vote came after several days of private negotiating over procedure. Adoption of any amendments would have required the bill to be sent back for another vote in the House, which is now in recess.

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Democrats had an uphill fight in the 50-50 Senate because three of their members have been absent this week. But the task became easier because senators from both parties were itching to leave the Capitol late in the day to attend the Munich Security Conference.

With fewer Republicans on hand to vote, GOP amendments could more easily be defeated.

Republicans offered two amendments designed to register their opposition to Covid-19 vaccine mandates. An amendment by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to deny funding to school districts with vaccine mandates was defeated 44-49, with two Republicans, Roy Blunt of Missouri and Susan Collins of Maine, joining all Democrats in opposition.

A broader amendment by Senator Mike Lee of Utah, which would have denied funding to enforce any federal vaccine mandates, was shot down on a vote of 46-47.

Earlier, a push by Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida for his legislation that would bar the Department of Health and Human Services from using any money in its "harm reduction program" for drug users to distribute "crack pipes" or other drug paraphernalia had been complicating the path to CR passage.

The White House and Democrats largely accepted the basic premise of Rubio’s bill and were working with him on compromise language.

But Rubio late Thursday said he was troubled by a "loophole" that health officials could still distribute plastic tubing that attaches to pipes, even if the pipes themselves would not be provided.

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"I think that’s nuts," Rubio said on the floor, in asking unanimous consent to bring up his bill. "This is insane."

Senate Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy, a Democrat of Vermont, objected, saying Rubio’s bill "would severely cripple our ability to respond to (drug) addiction."

Despite his concerns, Rubio ultimately didn’t object to the time agreement paving the way for a few amendment votes and final passage of the continuing resolution.

Biden is sure to sign the stopgap – the third such measure passed since September to keep the lights on in government offices. But lawmakers still faced the more difficult task of negotiating a final spending package for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends September 30.

Before the stopgap vote, Leahy expressed hope on the floor that a spending deal was now within reach. He said a "framework" agreement announced by top appropriators last week would pave the way for "the biggest increase in nondefense programs in four years."

His Republican counterpart on Appropriations, Alabama Senator Richard C. Shelby, didn’t dispute Leahy’s comment.

"That’s the Democrat agenda," Shelby said. "Our agenda was national security. But, you know, in anything ... bipartisan, to try to get a bill through, you’re going to have to give to get."