Spending Vote Offers a Glimpse of the Future Dynamic in Washington

The wrangling between the White House and Congress over a $1.1 trillion spending bill is the first test of how political forces unleashed by the midterm elections and impending 2016 campaigns will influence governing here.

The fight foreshadows two years of legislative battles defined by tensions not just between the two parties—as has been the case since the Republican takeover of the House in 2010—but within them.

As Senate leaders attempted Friday to win support for quick passage of a House bill to fund most of the government through next...