Budget Deal Reached, Shutdown Averted

An hour before the midnight Friday deadline, Speaker John Boehner said Friday night that a deal has been reached with Democrats on the federal budget to avoid a government shutdown. The proposal raised the level of cuts to $39 billion from this year's budget, but spared slashes to groups such as Planned Parenthood while resolving other policy disagreements around social issues that were attached to the legislation. The negotiators will vote on a stopgap funding bill fund the government through the weekend.Speaking from the White House, President Barack Obama said he was pleased that Americans of different beliefs came together to avert a shutdown."Behind me, through the window, you can see the Washington Monument, visited each by hundreds of thousands from around the world," Mr. Obama said. "Tomorrow, I'm pleased to announce that the Washington Monument, as well as the entire federal government, will be open for business."