With funding for the federal government running out at the end of September, the Senate on Wednesday evening approved a three bill package of spending measures for 2019, as key lawmakers acknowledged that the Congress would again fail to approve all twelve funding bills by an October 1 deadline, which will force action later this month on a temporary funding measure to avert a government shutdown. "We have a long way to go but we're getting there," said Sen. Richard Shelby , the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as Senators in both parties voiced their support for extra work done in August, as the Senate approved nine of 12 funding bills for next year.