US Senate passes bill to fund government through April

Reuters
The U.S. Capitol dome is pictured in the pre-dawn darkness in Washington in this file general view photo taken October 18, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Files

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Friday to fund the government through April and sent it to President Barack Obama for signing into law, after Democrats who sought more generous healthcare benefits for coal miners stopped delaying action on the measure. Many government services and operations would have been closed or suspended starting at midnight, when current funding authority expires, if the Senate had not approved the measure. The vote was 63-36. The House of Representatives passed the legislation on Thursday. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Robert Birsel)