1. APPROPRIATIONS:
Senate votes down biofuels, parks amendments; CR nears passage
The Senate today voted to maintain funding for a military biofuels program and rejected a measure to shift funds within the National Park Service budget as the chamber dispensed with a series of amendments before turning to final passage of a six-month spending bill. After a week of wrangling over the bill, senators this afternoon considered nine amendments before taking a final vote on their version of a continuing resolution to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.