Congress Will Likely Avoid Government Shutdown

According to McClatchy Newspapers, Congress is not likely to shut down this week despite difficulties compromising on how to continue funding the government for two weeks beyond Friday, March 4. The House of Representatives returned Monday morning to vote on an expedited measure that contains $4 billion in new spending cuts, several of which were already outlined in President Obama's 2012 budget proposal. If approved, the measure would end arguments between the Republican-run House and the Democrat-run Senate, and avoid a federal shutdown that could cause widespread damage to government-funded programs. In 1996, a 21-day shutdown caused 475,000 employees to work without pay, while more than 600 toxic waste sites stopped clean-up, tourism and airlines industries suffered as passports ceased processing and 368 National Park Service sites closed.