U.S. House passes two-year budget plan; Senate vote next week

Murray and Ryan hold a news conference to introduce The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 at the U.S. Capitol in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a two-year, bipartisan budget plan that would end some automatic spending cuts on federal agencies and replace them with more targeted government savings. By an overwhelming margin, the House passed the measure that also aims to end the partisan fighting between Republicans and Democrats over fiscal affairs, which led to last October's 16-day partial government shutdown. The budget deal must next pass the Democratic-controlled Senate before being sent to President Barack Obama for signing into …