US Congress passes bill to avert shutdown

WASHINGTON: The US Congress averted a Christmastime government shutdown on Saturday after weeks of tense negotiations that went down to the wire, passing a bill to fund federal agencies through mid-March.

With the midnight deadline already expired by minutes, senators dropped normal procedure to fast-track the package to a vote, halting government shutdown preparations and saving Christmas for more than 800,000 workers at risk of being sent home without pay.

“It’s good news that...