Congress passes stopgap bill to avoid shutdown

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Congress passes stopgap bill to avoid shutdown


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress has approved a stopgap spending bill to keep the government running into next week.

The legislation is needed because a previous bill expires at midnight and the Senate is still debating a huge spending bill funding domestic agencies for the already-started budget year.

The 2009 budget began last October, but election-year fights delayed $410 billion worth of budget work. After a hitch on Thursday night that forced Congress to step in with short-term funds, the Senate appears on track to send the rest of the budget to President Barack Obama next week.

Republicans unsuccessfully tried to freeze the budget at current levels for the rest of the fiscal year. They said the budget spends too much amid huge deficits and belt-tightening across the country.