Even after this, the second chamber voted against the proposal, with a vote count of 73-130.
But neither chamber voted on the other's bill, killing any chance of campaign finance reform.
Congressional leaders hope both chambers will have voted on the reconciliation measure by Saturday night.
Secondly, the Chamber may vote by sitting and standing.
Both chambers have voted to sweep away decades of restrictions on media and communications companies.
The effort had fallen flat eight years earlier, but the chamber voted overwhelmingly in favor of the merger the second time around.
Unless both chambers subsequently vote by a 2/3 majority to override the veto, the measure does not become law.
Both chambers voted to impose a lifetime limit of five years on welfare payments to any family.
In 1999, the chamber voted against another bill.
The chamber voted instead to dissolve itself in the autumn and hold elections by Oct. 31.