"Congress Strikes Bipartisan Deal on Funding Bills to Avert Shutdown"

Congressional leaders have reached a deal on six spending bills, setting full-year spending levels for federal agencies and aiming to avoid a partial shutdown. The bills cover agencies such as Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, and Justice, with hopes to complete votes this week and continue negotiations on the remaining six annual spending bills before a March 22 deadline. The package includes key policy wins for conservatives, but some House Republicans are critical of the spending bills, despite the short-term extension passed last week to avoid a shutdown.