The U.S. Congress has given final approval to a spending plan that funds the government through September and averts a potential shutdown next week.
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for a plan that funds government agencies, but incorporates $85 billion in spending cuts that automatically took effect earlier this month. The budget measure gives the military and some domestic agencies more flexibility in how they trim their spending.
U.S. spending authorization was set to expire next Wednesday. Without passage of the spending bill, numerous government functions could have been halted. The Senate already approved the plan and it now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
With spending levels set for the fiscal year ending September 30, Congress is turning its attention to budgeting for next year and beyond. The Republican-controlled House also voted Thursday for its 2014 plan, which would cut spending and lead to a balanced budget within a decade without raising taxes.
The Democratic-controlled Senate is considering a budget plan calling for nearly $1 trillion in new taxes during the next decade to fund increased government spending.