Senate ends budget impasse

The US Senate has approved a deal to avert a government shutdown, ending a stand-off that highlighted a dysfunctional Congress's trouble in passing even the most basic legislation.

"We've averted a disaster – until the next one," said Democratic Senator Ben Nelson.

With thousands of Americans battered by hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters, Democrats and Republicans had deadlocked over whether emergency-relief money would have to be offset with budget cuts. The dispute threatened a spending bill that would keep the government operating past next Friday.