Senate agrees to consider stop-gap spending bill

The Senate today voted to proceed to a vote on a continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through Feb. 8 and the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years. The bill also would delay the Affordable Care Act’s medical device tax and so-called Cadillac tax on high-cost health insurance plans for two years, and its tax on health insurance providers for one year, among other provisions. The House is expected to quickly consider the bill after Senate passage. If approved, the president is expected to sign the bill, which would end the government shutdown that began Friday night.