Eleventh hour deal keeps US in business

Washington is still in business this morning after Republicans and Democrats passed a stopgap budget deal.

The US government was less than an hour away from shutdown when lawmakers agreed on 27 billion euros of spending cuts.

President Barak Obama praised their efforts saying:

“This agreement between Democrats and Republicans on behalf of all Americans is on a budget that invests in our future while making the largest annual spending cut in our history.

“Like any worthwhile compromise both sides had to make tough decisions and give ground on issues that where important to them and I certainly did that.”

A shutdown would have meant hundreds of thousands of government workers, including those in uniform, not being paid and would have threatened America’s economic recovery.

Lawmakers now have an extra few days at least to formally enact a budget agreement.

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