Congress Averts Gov't Shutdown

Washington won’t be closing up shop—at least not yet. The House passed a bill with bipartisan support Tuesday afternoon that slashes federal spending by $4 billion but guarantees that the government will be funded for the next two weeks. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated earlier in the day that the Senate would agree to the proposal, which keeps money flowing until Congress is able to hammer out a year-long budget. But a shutdown is still a strong likelihood; Republicans are seeking more than $60 billion in spending cuts, many of which Democrats have vowed to fight tooth-and-nail.