Free Republic

(Reuters) - Congress on Wednesday sent President Barack Obama a stopgap spending bill that averts an imminent government shutdown but does nothing to resolve a bitter debate over the federal budget. By a vote of 91 to 9, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a two-week funding bill that cleared the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Obama is expected to sign the measure, which includes $4 billion in relatively noncontroversial cuts, into law before current funding expires on Friday.The bill keeps the government running until March 18, which lawmakers say is probably not enough time to find common ground between the Republican-controlled...