In a week when political rancor roiled Congress, legislators managed to cross party lines to support renewed funding for autism research — this time with a new focus on young adults.

The U.S. Senate passed the Autism CARES Act in its final hours Thursday amidst wrangling over more contentious issues, including border security. Congress is set to start its five-week summer vacation.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) called the act “a model of bipartisan, bicameral cooperation.”

The senator’s office said reauthorization of the 2011 autism funding bill was in jeopardy until the last minute. In response to Republican concern about funding laws that end up duplicating services, language was added to the bill to guard against duplication.

Without reauthorization, funding would have ended in September, Menendez's spokesman said.

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