Nightly News   |  December 16, 2011

House passes bill, averts shutdown

The House has passed a $1 trillion-plus catchall budget bill paying for day-to-day budgets of 10 Cabinet departments and averting a government shutdown, but the drama is still going on in the Senate. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reports.

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>>> an con capitol hill in washington the house passed a spending bill needed to keep the government up and running but there is still a lot of work to do by the end of the year. we're joined by nbc's kelly o'donnell from the hill, good evening.

>> reporter: good evening, brian. first no government shutdown , that's done because house republicans and democrats came together over whelmingly to pass the nearly $1 trillion spending bill that covers more than a dozen government agencies and included in that is the fate of your household light bulb . republicans fought hard to get rid of the money to enforce the more energy efficient kind. they said government was reaching too far into everyday life . democrats said they're not making those bulbs much more so no effect. the other big priority, the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits extensions. we're being told there's a tentative deal for just a two-month extension and would include something republicans fought very hard for and that's a provision dealing with the oil pipeline project they say will create jobs, the president wanted to push that off so there are developments, they may all be out of here by the end of the weekend.

>> kelly o'donnell on the hill tonight, thanks.