House, Senate leaders move to avoid shutdown

WASHINGTON – Congressional aides say the rival party leaders on Capitol Hill are likely to soon announce an agreement that would avert any chance of a government shutdown this fall in advance of the elections.

The expected deal between GOP House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would keep the government on autopilot at basically current funding levels, punting a stack of 12 unfinished agency budget bills into next year.

It's a tactical retreat for Republicans, who had sought to cut $19 billion below the budget agreement reached last summer with President Barack Obama and shift $8 billion more from domestic agencies to the Pentagon.

The aides required anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the developments.