in VOA Special English.A week ago,the United States governmentwas preparing to suspendsome of its operationsfor lack of a budget.But late last Friday,negotiators reached a deal.This Thursday, both housesof Congress approved itand sent it to PresidentObama to sign into law.SOUND: "On this vote,the yeas are eighty-one,the nays are nineteen.The bill is passed."That was the vote in the Senate.The measure provides moneythrough the end of the budget yearin September.It cuts more than thirty-eightbillion dollarsin non-defense spending.Negotiators cut more thanmost Democratic Party lawmakerswanted, but less thanmost Republicans wanted.Fifty-nine Republicansin the Republican-controlled Houseof Representativesvoted against the deal.Many were elected last Novemberwith support from the conservativeTea Party coalition.House Speaker John Boehner saidthe bill is not perfect,but a good start.On Friday, Republicans in the Housepassed a plan by Budget CommitteeChairman Paul Ryan.The plan aims for six trillion dollarsin savings over ten years,starting in twenty-twelve.But the plan facesstrong opposition in the Senate,where Democrats are in control.President Obama condemnedthe Republican plan earlier this week.Instead he called for four trilliondollars in government spending cutsand higher taxes for wealthy Americansover twelve years.A major part of the Ryan planwould change Medicare from a programthat directly pays medical billsfor retired people.Instead, people would get moneyto buy health insurancefrom private companies.The idea is that competitionwould save money.But Democrats say the planwould increase costs for older adultsand end the forty-six-year-oldMedicare program as it now exists.The Ryan plan would alsoreduce money for Medicaid,a joint federaland state health care programfor the poor and disabled.Congress and the presidentmust now turn their attentionto issues like the budgetfor next year and the debt limit.The debt limit is the amountof money that the governmentis permitted to borrow.The current limit is more thanfourteen trillion dollars-- nearly equal to all the goodsand services producedin the United States in a year.The government is expectedto reach that limit next month.But the Treasury Departmentcannot borrow more moneyby selling bondsunless Congress acts.Republicans are threateningto reject Mr. Obama's requestto raise the debt limitunless he agreesto bigger spending cuts.But Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner saysthe United States might miss paymentson its debts and createanother economic crisis.TIMOTHY GEITHNER: "I think it would makethe crisis we just wentthrough look modest in comparison. "Steve Hess at Moody's Investor Service saysif lenders were really worried,they would raise the interest ratesthey charge on loans to the government.STEVE HESS: "If you look at the market,it does not seem that the wranglingso far has had a big effecton the government's cost of borrowing. "And that's IN THE NEWSin VOA Special English.For news and activitiesfor English learners anytime,go to 51voa.com.And you can find us on Facebookand Twitter at VOA Learning English.