TV News LIES

For the first time in what seems like ages, Congress has passed a government spending plan without resorting to last-minute brinkmanship such as midnight negotiations to prevent an imminent government shutdown.

The Senate voted 64-36 on Wednesday to send the compromise federal budget framework to President Barack Obama, who has signaled his support.

Last week, the budget plan easily passed the House on a 332-94 vote, with solid majorities of both parties supporting it.

The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee asked the CIA for what the panel says it believes is a critical internal report on interrogations that has been withheld.

The committee's request comes in the midst of a yearlong battle with the U.S. spy agency over the panel's own report about the controversial detention and interrogation program, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

The Senate report of more than 6,000 pages was finished in December 2012 but hasn't been declassified.

CIA officers revealed a clash over how quickly they should go help the besieged US ambassador during the September 2012 attack on an outpost in Benghazi, in Libya, and a standing order for them to avoid violent encounters, according to a congressman and others who heard their private congressional testimony or were briefed on it.

The Obama administration has been dogged by complaints that the White House, Pentagon and State Department may not have done enough before and during the attack to save US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans who died, and by accusations that it later engaged in a cover-up.

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved by a vote of 332-94 a modest bipartisan plan to spend more on both defense and domestic programs for the next two years, an agreement aimed at avoiding government shutdowns and easing automatic spending cuts.

Conservatives fumed that the plan didn’t take the kind of bold steps to reduce spending and deficits they have long sought. Democrats were not pleased that the package didn’t tackle emergency unemployment benefits, which expire Dec. 28.

On Wednesday morning, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced that he was suspending his chief of staff, Ryan Loskarn, who was being investigated by law enforcement for "allegations involving child pornography." In a release, Alexander, a two-term senator who previously served as the Volunteer State's governor, said "I am stunned, surprised and disappointed."

The Tennessee Republican said his office was cooperating fully and that Loskarn would be placed on unpaid adminstrative leave.

Budget negotiators in the Congress have reached an agreement on Tuesday that, if approved by the House and Senate, could restore some order to the nation's chaotic budget process and avoid another government shutdown on January 15.

The chief negotiators, Democratic Senator Patty Murray and Republican Representative Paul Ryan, were to announce details at a news conference at 6 p.m. ET (2300 GMT).