The U.S. Senate wrapped up an overnight session Friday and adjourned for its summer recess after approving a stopgap spending bill and voting down legislation that would have required photo identification to vote in federal elections. The session ran from Friday into early Saturday morning.
The spending bill keeps the federal government funded while longer-term budget negotiations continue. The voter ID measure, which supporters argued would reduce fraud and opponents said would suppress turnout among eligible voters, failed to advance. Montana's two senators — Republican Steve Daines and whoever holds the other seat — cast votes in both proceedings, though their positions were not detailed in early reports.
The recess comes as Montana's own U.S. Senate race enters a critical stretch, with a candidate withdrawal deadline approaching and competing factions of the Democratic Party publicly disagreeing about the best path forward. Federal funding decisions made in Washington will be felt in Helena through programs ranging from highway maintenance to public lands management, making the stopgap bill directly relevant to state and local budgets.