US Congress votes to end brief shutdown

US lawmakers have voted to pass a two-year budget, meaning the government's second shutdown in three weeks could end before the working day begins.

The measures have passed the Senate and the House but still need to be signed off by President Donald Trump.

Federal funding for government services expired at midnight (05:00 GMT), after the Senate missed a voting deadline.

The 650-page plan proposes an increase in spending on defence and domestic services of about $300bn (£215bn), The bipartisan package had been expected to pass before the midnight deadline but senators struggled with last-minute objections from Republican Rand Paul, which meant they could not vote in time.

The shutdown came within three weeks of the last one. Lawmakers have wrangled over the spending plan and other political demands from either side.

The House approved the bill by 240 votes to 186. The Senate had passed it by 71 to 28 three hours earlier.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a top Republican, said the bill was "a great victory for our men and women in uniform" as the military would get more resources.

He said: "Ultimately, neither side got everything it wanted in this agreement, but we reached a bipartisan compromise that puts the safety and wellbeing of the American people first."

Politicians from both opposing parties criticised Senator Paul for slowing the bill up and provoking the shutdown.

Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill said "it looked like he was clueless", while Republican Senator John Thune called the shutdown "a colossal waste of time".

Source: BBC