By Richard Cowan and David Lawder
WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate looked set to pass a $1.1 trillion spending bill in time for a Saturday night deadline, following a narrow House of Representatives vote that averted a government shutdown.
The House passed the bill late on Thursday despite a revolt by Democrats against controversial financial provisions that led to a day of drama on Capitol Hill and exposed fraying unity between President Barack Obama and his party.
A vote on the measure was delayed for hours after Democrats revolted against provisions to roll back part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law and allow more big money political donations, while conservative Republicans objected because the measure did not block funds for Obama's immigration order.
While there could be some opposition to the bill from both the left flank of the Democrats and some Republicans, it appeared the bill would garner the 60 votes needed in the 100-seat Senate to overcome any procedural blocks.
However, it was not clear when the bill would pass. The deadline for passing it is on Saturday night, and opponents could seek to delay the vote until the 11th hour through measures such as insisting on a full debate.
Shortly after passage in the House, both the House and Senate passed a 48-hour extension to allow the Senate more time to consider the measure. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said he hoped the bill would be debated on Friday.
Reid supports the bill, as does Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is anxious to avoid another unpopular government shutdown as the Republicans head toward taking control of the Senate next year following their midterm election wins in November.
Thursday's House drama featured an uneasy alliance between the president and House Speaker John Boehner, enemies in past budget battles but on the same side this time in pushing for passage. It also pitted House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, long a staunch Obama ally, against the president.
The 1,603-page bill, negotiated by Republican and Democratic appropriators and leaders, drew Democrats' ire in the House when they discovered it would roll back a provision of the Dodd-Frank law due to go into effect next year.
That provision would kill planned restrictions on derivatives trading by large banks, allowing them to continue trading swaps and futures in units that benefit from federal deposit insurance and Federal Reserve loans.
Democrats said Republican leaders, flexing their new political muscle after their midterm election wins, had gone too far in trying to roll back Dodd-Frank.