Congress Passes Spending Bill; Government Shutdown Averted for Now

Congress passed a last minute spending bill on Wednesday night, averting a government shutdown with just a few hours to spare. The spending bill provides the liquidity needed to keep various government agencies running until December 11. In the House, the vote stood at 277 in favor of the bill and 151 members against. Some 186 Democrats and just 91 Republicans supported the bill. The measures made it through the Senate with 78 in favor and 20 against. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada slammed GOP members for bringing the country 'dangerously' close to a shutdown. 'I’m reminded what Albert Einstein said when he defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,’ he said. The spending bill provides funds to combat wildfires and the Federal Aviation Administration. TheStreet’s Scott Gamm reports from New York.