Congress okays budget stopgap, broader battle begins

US lawmakers approved a funding stopgap to keep the US government operating through September and took a step towards adopting a blueprint for a decade of budget austerity.

The two votes came in rapid-fire succession in the House of Representatives ahead of a two-week congressional recess.

The more urgent vote was the so-called continuing resolution, or CR, a US$1.2 trillion (HK$9.3 trillion) appropriations bill that will keep the doors of federal agencies open through the remainder of the fiscal year.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1197034/congress-okays-budget-stopgap-broader-battle-begins