US$1 trillion bipartisan funding deal struck, US govt shutdown averted

Washington

NEGOTIATORS in the US Congress reached a deal on Sunday on around US$1 trillion in federal funding that would avert a government shutdown later this week while handing President Donald Trump a downpayment on his promised military build-up.

The full House of Representatives and Senate must still approve the bipartisan pact, which would be the first major legislation to clear Congress since Mr Trump became president on Jan 20.

Prompt passage of the legislation is expected this week.

The funds, which should have been locked into place seven months ago with the start of fiscal 2017 on Oct 1, would pay for an array of federal programmes from border security operations to soldiers' pay, foreign aid and space explo…