title: House approves stop-gap government funding bill
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives, working against a Friday midnight deadline, approved legislation on Thursday to fund a wide range of federal programs through Dec. 22 and avoid a partial government shutdown when existing money expires. By a vote of 235-193, the House approved the stop-gap spending bill, sending it to the Senate for passage, which is expected by Friday. 