The Senate early Saturday passed a short-term spending bill that will prevent a government shutdown at the end of this month, then adjourned until after the election.

The six-month continuing resolution passed 62-30, capping off a relatively drama-free effort to keep the government running once the new fiscal year begins next month. The House passed the same legislation last week, and President Obama is expected to sign it well before the Sept. 30 deadline.

The CR keeps government spending about where it was last year with agencies receiving a 0.6 percent boost in their accounts to accommodate for the overall $1.047 trillion funding level, which is $8 billion higher than fiscal 2012.

Some activities received additional infusions, including $800 million for wildfire suppression programs at the Interior Department and Forest Service and $100 million for the controversial U.S. Enrichment Corp. uranium enrichment facility in Ohio. The spending bill also adjusts a provision that was included in this year's transportation bill that would have cost states millions of dollars in funding to clean up abandoned mines; however, Wyoming still stands to lose the cleanup money, rankling that state's delegation (E&E Daily, Sept. 19).

With passage of the CR, the government will remain open through at least March 27, although it remains unclear what will happen for the remainder of fiscal 2013. House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said last week he would like Congress to pass a full-year omnibus appropriations bill during a post-election session to replace the CR, although Congress is likely to have a full plate after November as it faces year-end deadlines to address expiring tax provisions, looming mandatory spending cuts and other fiscal issues.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was the only Democrat to break ranks and vote against the CR, which won 12 Republican votes. Manchin said he voted against the measure to protest Congress' recent predilection for putting off tough decisions on spending.

"I've been here two years -- 12 times we kicked the can down the road. Enough is enough. ... I can't go home and look people in the eye and say, 'Well, now it's because of the election,'" Manchin said in a brief interview Thursday after voting against a motion to proceed to the CR.

"If they want to do an extension," he added, "they should've run this one until the end of this year so everything hits at the same time -- then we would've been forced to stay here."

In other last-minute action Saturday, the Senate passed by unanimous consent a bill that attempts to exempt U.S. airlines from the European Union's emissions trading policy (see related story). The bill, sponsored by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), will be taken up by the House in the lame-duck session. The House has already passed similar legislation.