U.S. Senate passes two-day funding bill to avert government shutdown

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate approved a two-day extension of government funding late on Thursday to stave off shutdowns of federal agencies that otherwise would have begun at midnight. The Senate passed the measure by a voice vote shortly after the House of Representatives approved it. President Barack Obama was expected to sign it into law promptly. The two-day funding bill gives the Senate time to approve a House-passed $1.1 trillion bill to operate most government programs through to the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2015. (Reporting By Richard Cowan; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)