By Jolie Lee
Federal News Radio

Congress is one step closer to averting a government shutdown this week after the House passed a bill Tuesday that continues to fund government for two weeks after the current spending measure ends on March 4.

The bill must be passed by the Senate and signed by the president before a shutdown is averted.

The new spending measures would make $4 billion in cuts.

“The CR [continuing resolution] contains funding to allow all government agencies and programs to continue operating at the current level of spending for the next two weeks, until March 18, 2011, except for several programs that will be terminated or cut,” according to the House Appropriations Committee website.

Some of the proposed cuts include:

• Smithsonian Institution Legacy Fund = -$30 million
• LEAP program (Department of Education) = -$64 million
• Even Start (Education) = -$66 million
• Smaller Learning Communities (Education) = -$88 million.
• Highways – additional general funds (Federal Highways Administration) = -$650 million

The spending reductions also included nearly $2.8 billion in savings by eliminating earmarks.

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