House Passes $1.1T Spending Bill

The House has staved off a government shutdown by passing a $1.1 trillion bill funding government operations through October 2011. The measure, which covers everything from the military to national parks, is essentially last year's budget extended with a few tweaks, Reuters reports. Earmarks were prohibited and $46 billion was cut from President Obama's spending requests, although his top priorities will receive funding.

The bill narrowly passed 212-206, with no Republicans in favor and 35 Democratic defections, largely because of language in the bill that bans the transfer of terror suspects from Guantanamo Bay to US soil. The bill will now go to the Senate, where Democrats hope to restore some $18 billion in spending.
(More House of Representatives stories.)