A two-year budget measure that includes a $44.8-billion spending boost for 2014 has won final congressional approval, with the Senate's passage by a comfortable margin. The legislation next goes to the White House for President Obama's expected signature.
The budget bill, which the Senate approved on Dec. 18 by a 64-36 vote, would avert a government shutdown in mid-January and increase discretionary spending by a combined $63 billion for the rest of this fiscal year and all of fiscal 2015. The House had passed the measure six days earlier on a strong 334-92 vote.