House to Vote on Spending Bill as Midnight Deadline Looms

With a midnight deadline to avert a government shutdown, the House prepared to vote Thursday on a $1.1 trillion spending bill, in a test of whether Republican leaders can contain late-blooming opposition to some contentious provisions.

House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) told reporters at his weekly news conference that he was confident the spending bill would receive bipartisan support and pass on Thursday, and then be sent to the Senate. Current funding for the government runs out at midnight Thursday. If the bill fails, the House is expected to pass an interim me