Congress passes bipartisan budget agreement

Congress has sent President Barack Obama bipartisan legislation scaling back across-the-board spending cuts on programs ranging from the Pentagon to the national park system.

The final vote on the measure was 64-36 in the Senate. The House approved the bill last week.

The legislation is designed to prevent the kind of budget brinkmanship that has prevailed over the past three years of divided government and that led to this October's partial government shutdown.

The White House supports the bill, and Obama's signature is assured.