US Senate passes huge spending Bill
The US Senate has passed a huge spending Bill to keep the government open until the end of September, preventing a government shutdown but leaving in place automatic spending cuts that will mean job furloughs (temporary unpaid leave) for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
The bipartisan 73-26 vote sends the measure to the House, which is expected to approve it on Thursday and ship it to President Barack Obama for his signature.
The measure would fund the day-to-day operating budgets of every Cabinet agency through until September 30, provide another US $87 billion to fund overseas military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and maintain a pay freeze for federal workers.
The measure gives the Pentagon much-sought relief from a cash crunch in accounts for training and readiness and gives veteran health programmes their scheduled increases.
