Washington (CNN) – Before leaving Washington to concentrate efforts on their re-election campaigns, U.S. senators voted Saturday to fund the federal government into 2013 and passed a measure asserting a tough stance towards Iran over its nuclear program.

In a 62 to 30 vote in a session that stretched past midnight, the legislators approved the moneys necessary for government to function for the next six months and avoided a possible shutdown until early next year – thus forgoing any partisan funding standoff well past November's election date.