US Congress releases $1.1 trillion spending package to avert shutdown

After days of delay, U.S. congressional leaders unveiled a $1.1 trillion bipartisan spending measure for defense, homeland security and other programs early on Thursday, giving lawmakers less than two days to avert a partial government shutdown. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives will vote on the sprawling package on Friday, leaving the Democratic-majority Senate only hours to pass the package of six bills that covers about two-thirds of the $1.66 trillion in discretionary government spending for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. "These final six bills represent a bipartisan and bicameral compromise," the two top Senate negotiators – Patty Murray, a Democrat, and Susan Collins, a Republican – said in a statement.