Congressional leaders in both parties today reached a deal to keep the federal government funded until the end of March at the same levels agreed to in last year's debt deal with no riders restricting U.S. EPA or Energy Department policies. The agreement reflects an apparent acknowledgment by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that a pre-election battle over policy riders and spending cuts could backfire on either party. Go to story #1