The Senate passed a major aviation bill on Thursday, marking an end to a monthslong fight over whether to add more flights to the nation’s busiest runway.

Last month, negotiators in both chambers unveiled a compromise bill that would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for another five years, but a provision to add 10 slots at Reagan National Airport prompted outrage from Washington, D.C.-area senators, who warned the flights would cause delays and a risk to public safety.

The four senators, from Maryland and Virginia, held up passage for days, demanding a vote to strip out the slots, but they ultimately relented with the Friday expiration of the law looming.

The measure passed in an 88-4 vote, with Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Mark Warner (D-VA) opposed.

“After months of painstaking work, the FAA reauthorization has passed in the Senate today,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said ahead of the final vote. “Aviation safety has been front of mind for millions of Americans recently, and passing this FAA bill is the best thing Congress can do to give Americans the peace of mind they deserve.”

The House departed for the week on Wednesday, meaning the soonest it can get through Congress and to President Joe Biden’s desk is Tuesday, but the lower chamber passed a one-week extension to avoid a temporary lapse before it left.

That extension cleared the upper chamber by voice vote less than an hour after the flagship bill.

The fight over DCA slots was not the only holdup on the FAA bill. Negotiators tweaked the legislation at the last minute to resolve a dispute over the Biden administration’s airline refund policy.

Meanwhile, senators saw the reauthorization, one of the final must-pass bills of the current Congress, as a chance to attach unrelated provisions. More than a hundred amendments were filed, but none were ultimately granted a vote.

The Senate operates by unanimous consent, so any one senator could have dragged the process out further. As recently as Thursday afternoon, members from Maryland and Virginia were promising to use every “procedural right” they had to force a vote on the flights.

But they agreed to drop their holds with a simple gesture from Schumer. He brought forward a compromise amendment that would have allowed the flights if the transportation secretary certifies they do not pose a safety hazard.

The amendment was quickly blocked by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, who objected to a vote from the Senate floor.

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The one-week extension faced some controversy of its own. Senators delayed the bill briefly as they worked to get a commitment for future votes on unrelated legislation. Two online safety bills were the subject of negotiations, according to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the chairwoman of the Commerce Committee, as was an expiring affordable internet program.

“Everybody said, ‘I want my time on the floor!’” she said, noting that a hotline went out to gauge support but that any member could object.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and there are a number of area events marking the occasion. Check out these festivals, educational talks, performances, and more:

IlluminAsia Festival

To commemorate AAPI Heritage Month, the National Museum of Asian Art is hosting three days of family-friendly arts and culture. This weekend’s IlluminAsia Festival will include an evening of wellness and meditation (guests can journal and make origami), a vendor market, an electronic music performance by artist/activist Madame Gandhi, and Mother’s Day-themed activities for kids (free).

“Good Fortunes” Open House

Asian American artist Xena Ni brings an interactive art installation to Heurich House Museum. “Good Fortunes” is the second installment of the We Should Talk series, which invites community members to join visionary Asian American women in imagining the future. You can explore the exhibit (and the biergarten) at the Dupont museum’s Friday open house. In the coming days, there will also be a charm-making craft event, and a lion dance celebration (free).

Howard County’s AAPI Festival

Sample ice cream, shaved ice, poke, and barbecue from Asian food trucks at this AAPI Festival in Columbia, Maryland. The third annual community gathering spotlights dishes and cultural goods from up to 100 vendors and exhibitors (free).

AAPI Heritage Month Family Day

May Family Day at the Library of Congress commemorates AAPI month with a mask-making workshop for children, and an author talk with Star Trek actor/activist George Takei about his book, My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story ( free, but timed-entry pass required).

White House Forum on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

This daylong event marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of the White House Initiative and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The “Lasting Legacies” schedule has yet to be released, but last year’s lineup included performances, panels, speeches, and informational sessions led by Vice President Kamala Harris, actor Daniel Dae Kim, poet Rupi Kaur, and more (free, but registration is required).

Fiesta Asia

The Passport DC festivities continue this month with Fiesta Asia. The celebration of pan-Asian heritage will include over 1,000 performers,  food vendors, and artisans, plus kid-friendly activities, a talent competition, street dancing, and a colorful parade. The fair has been a popular tribute to Asian culture since 2006 (free).

Asian Festival on Main

Take the entire family to this outdoor party in Old Town Fairfax City, which will feature dozens of food options, performances, and vendors, in addition to a cosplay costume contest, and an appearance by the Choy Wun Lion Dance Troupe (free).

Trivia Night: AANHPI Heritage Month

Feeling competitive? Test your knowledge by yourself, or join a team, to answer questions and solve puzzles about Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander athletes, activists, entertainers, and engineers from the Portrait Gallery collections (free).

Asia on the Creek

Visit downtown Frederick to experience traditional Asian art, dance, music, cuisine, and fashion, along with family-friendly activities, a vendor market, and live performances at Carroll Creek Park’s outdoor amphitheater (free).