FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2013 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Barack Obama will meet Friday with the top leaders in the House and Senate to discuss what to do about automatic cuts to the federal budget, White House and congressional leaders said. The meeting is set to take place hours after the $85 billion in across-the-board cuts will have officially kicked in. This suggests both sides are operating under the assumption a deal won't be reached to avert the cuts ahead of the March 1 deadline. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
House Oks bill to avoid government shutdown
Published: 07:07:55 PM, Wed 06 March 2013 UTC
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved legislation to prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month and give the Pentagon some relief from a cash crunch that's harming military readiness.
The huge spending measure, which was passed on a 267-151 vote, would fund federal operations through September. It leaves in place automatic cuts of 5 percent to domestic agencies and 7.8 percent to the Pentagon ordered by President Barack Obama Friday night after months of battling Republicans over the budget.
Republicans muscled the measure through on a mostly party-line vote over objections from Democrats protesting those across-the-board spending cuts.
The stopgap measure would provide budget relief for military readiness, veterans' health programs, embassy security and the FBI, but would put most of the rest of the government on budget autopilot.
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