Congressional leaders announced a deal Tuesday on a six-month bill to fund the federal government, thereby removing the possibility of a government shutdown -- and the political spectacle that would go with it -- before the election.
The Senate on Saturday approved a compromise spending bill to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year -- a day after the bill won approval from the House of Representatives.
Press Secretary Jay Carney says the administration is optimistic about the passage of the payroll tax cut extension.
A compromise spending bill to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year won approval Friday from the House of Representatives, the first step toward averting a partial government shutdown at midnight.
Congressional negotiators have come to an agreement they believe will prevent a government shutdown, according to several Democratic sources.
Following a well-developed pattern, lawmakers are spending the last few days of the legislative calendar engaged in a high-stakes game of political chicken.
Congress is facing yet another government shutdown threat this week as it confronts the expiration Friday of its latest short-term spending bill.
President Obama says the American people want Congress to pass his jobs bill.
President Barack Obama signed legislation into law early Wednesday that will keep the federal government funded through November 18, the White House said.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved legislation Tuesday keeping the federal government funded through November 18 -- effectively ending another partisan showdown over taxes and spending.
A short-term spending measure to fund the federal government into next week won approval Thursday from the U.S. House and now goes to President Barack Obama's desk.
L.Z. Granderson says that voters are at fault since they picked the leaders of the nation's broken government.
The House of Representatives is expected to take action Thursday on a bipartisan agreement ending a dispute over disaster relief spending that threatened to cause a partial shutdown of the government by the end of the week.
The Senate reached a bipartisan agreement to end a dispute over disaster relief spending. Kate Bolduan reports.
CNNMoney: Congress at it againupdated: Fri Sep 23 2011 15:29:00
To those still trying to salvage homes wrecked by natural disasters this summer, don't worry. Congress has your back.
In a year when lawmakers barely averted a federal shutdown and a default on its debts, Congress is poised to spread more uncertainty on an economy already suffering from a consumer confidence crisis.
Republican leaders will propose cutting more spending to balance the amount of additional disaster relief money in a short-term government spending measure defeated earlier by the House, two Republican sources told CNN on Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday he's not sure a potential government shutdown at the end of the month can be avoided because of a stand-off between the House and Senate over how much to spend on disaster relief.
Should members of Congress cut their salaries or raise the age at which they can draw a congressional pension when many Americans are making personal sacrifices during the country's prolonged economic crisis?
Sen. Sherrod Brown on why lawmakers should agree to a salary cut.
So much for getting Labor Day weekend off to a good start.
Very soon, Congress will raise the debt ceiling. If it does not, it would be the greatest unforced error in American history, a self-inflicted wound that is as disastrous as it was avoidable.
Miller Lite beer fans better stock up while they can.
There won't be any happy hours at The Independent in Minneapolis during the government shutdown.
Minnesota residents are far from pleased about their state's government shutdown.
The government shutdown in Minnesota could drag on for days as a spokeswoman for Gov. Mark Dayton said talks probably won't happen until after the July 4 holiday.
Minnesota lawmakers fail to come up with a budget deal, leading to a government shutdown. Chris Welch reports.
The Minnesota government was forced to shut down Friday for the second time in six years after lawmakers failed to reach a budget agreement before a midnight Thursday deadline.
Only a limited array of state services would continue in Minnesota if there is a government shutdown Friday, a judge ruled.
The neediest residents in Minnesota could lose their lifelines if there is a state government shutdown.
House Republicans are planning to hold a symbolic vote on the debt ceiling to demonstrate that Democrats don't have the votes to pass the measure without accepting stringent spending cuts. The vote is part of a larger drama that has played out this year over the federal budget.
The formal negotiations over the nation's debt have begun.