It's a Christmas miracle. After clearing the House last week, the Senate agreed on Wednesday to a bipartisan budget deal that would avert another government shutdown in January. Passing with a vote of 64 to 36, the spending plan will now go to President Obama, who has indicated he will sign it. The plan, negotiated by Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, will guide the budget into 2015, and lessens the severity of sequestration while reducing the deficit by $20 billion.
