President Bush has yet to veto a single piece of legislation and is considered unlikely to block a broad spending bill that keeps the government operating.

As long as it has the political will, a government operating in the Westminster parliamentary system can go ahead and impose major spending cuts.

This compromise measure will keep the government operating and also make investments to sustain the economic recovery and spur job growth.

Every September, Congress squabbles over the 13 annual spending bills needed to keep the government operating.

Rather, he said, he believed that the incoming Republican majority would "act responsibly" and reimpose whatever taxes were needed to keep the government operating.

The Republican maneuvers came as both houses passed a $6.7 billion spending bill to keep the government operating at last year's levels.

But with all levels of government operating under a financial squeeze, some politicians argue that no mayor can afford a comprehensive liberal agenda.

Continuing resolutions, the emergency spending bills enacted to keep the government operating without a budget, became a favored target.

My foremost task is to keep the government operating.

They see it as less than sinister, noting that a certain amount of trading favors is necessary to keep government operating.