title: Funding bill clears hurdle in House
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to extend funding for the U.S. government through Dec. 22 and avert agency shutdowns on Saturday cleared a procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives on Thursday, paving the way for a vote on passage later in the day. By a vote of 238-188, the House approved the rules for debating the stop-gap funding bill. 