U.S. House Republicans voice support for budget deal

By David Lawder and Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday were falling in line behind a two-year budget deal negotiated behind closed doors, indicating that the normally rambunctious group of lawmakers is not spoiling for a year-end fiscal fight. Despite conservative groups denouncing the $85 billion plan, the Republican-controlled House could vote as early as Thursday to lock into place a measure that would minimize chances of any further government shutdowns at least until October 2015. Representative Tom Cole told reporters that a majority of his fellow House Republicans would vote for the budget deal, which would replace some of the indiscriminate, across-the-board agency spending cuts scheduled for the next two years. "A lot of support was expressed for it" during a closed meeting of House Republicans, Cole told reporters.