Senate leaders reach funding deal to avoid shutdown during campaign season

Senate leaders reach funding deal to avoid shutdown during campaign seasonThe Senate's side of the U.S Capitol Building in DC. (Photo: Scrumshus / Wikipedia)WASHINGTON (AP) — Key senators unveiled a short-term spending bill on Sunday that would keep federal agencies funded past the midterm elections and into early December as they look to avoid a government shutdown during the middle of campaign season. Both parties want to avoid another shutdownA short-term funding extension is needed because Congress has struggled to get the dozen annual appropriations bills negotiated and approved before the Sept. 30 deadline. By extending government funding now, lawmakers can use the ensuing months to work out their differences on full-year funding. Democrats sought to extend an expiring health insurance tax credit and refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority.