"Congress Rushes to Pass Major Spending Package to Avoid Shutdown, Includes Controversial Provisions"

Congressional leaders have released a 1,050-page government funding bill to keep the government open until October, with plans to pass it ahead of a late Friday deadline. The bill represents a series of compromises between the Republican-led House and Democratic-controlled Senate, with provisions that satisfy both parties. House Republicans are aiming to vote on the measure Wednesday, followed by the Senate. The package covers funding for several departments but doesn't include funding for the Pentagon and other agencies, which faces a March 22 deadline. Congressional leaders still haven't reached a deal on that tranche of funding.