Senate passes bill to temporarily avoid gov’t shutdown

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WASHINGTON – The Senate overwhelmingly approved a continuing resolution Wednesday that keeps the government running through March 18 and cuts federal spending by $4 billion.

The stop-gap measure passed 91-9 in a morning vote, temporarily averting a government shutdown that would otherwise have occurred Friday.

The House approved it Tuesday by a vote of 335-91, in which most of the opposition came from Democrats who were wary of the cuts to federal programs.

The bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature, which would buy an additional two weeks for the two sides to come to a deal on a broader budget for fiscal 2011, though it’s possible that won’t happen in time.