Congress Approves $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill: President Will Sign

Congress gave final approval today to a $1.1 trillion spending bill that eases the sharp budget cuts known at the sequester and guarantees that the nation will not endure another government shutdown until at least Oct. 1.  The bipartisan agreement to fund federal agencies through the rest of the fiscal year passed the Senate on a vote  of 72 to 26.

The House overwhelmingly approved the spending bill earlier this week, and the White House signaled that President Obama would sign it by Saturday, in time to prevent museums, agency offices and national parks from locking their gates when the current temporary funding measures expires. (Wash Post, 1/16/2014)