US House Passes Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown; Senate Approval Expected
By KUNA
In a move expected to avert a government shutdown, the US House of Representatives on Friday approved on a 296-121 vote a more than 1-trillion-dollar budget bill that will fund 10 Cabinet departments.
However, lawmakers remained undecided on separate legislation to renew jobless benefits for unemployed Americans, as well as action to continue a cut in payroll taxes that, if not approved, would result in a tax increase next year for working-class and middle-class Americans.
The US Senate was expected on Saturday to approve the House bill that avoids a government shutdown.
The legislative package cuts spending for most domestic agencies, and provides the US Defense Department with its smallest budget increase in many years. US war costs would be 115 billion dollars, or 43 billion dollars less than the previous year.
