This morning the Senate voted – 91 to 9 – to keep the federal government operating another two weeks through March 18 and cut $4 billion from the federal budget.    

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the two-week continuing resolution (CR) yesterday.

Education programs received a disproportionate 22 percent of the cuts, but the maximum Pell Grant would remain at $5,550 under the bill.

The only student aid cut in the bill was the elimination of funding for the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) program. This cut would provide $64 million in savings.   The bill would also make cuts several cuts to unfunded earmarks proposed by President Obama in his FY 2012 budget.

 The measure now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it.