Funding bill to avoid US shutdown wins Senate support after vaccine standoff

Bill gained enough Senate votes late on Thursday after failed bid to defund vaccine mandate

A bill to fund the US government through mid-February gained the support of enough members of the Senate late on Thursday to win passage and prevent a partial shutdown of federal agencies at the end of this week after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates.

The vote late evening came after some Republican senators threatened to block the process in order to voice their opposition to the Biden administration's vaccine requirements.