House approves $1 trillion spending bill

(Story updated at 4 p.m. ET.)

In a vote of 296-121, the House of Representatives on Friday passed a $1 trillion spending bill to avert a government shutdown and fund federal agencies for fiscal 2012, with about $69.7 billion appropriated for HHS.

Early Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee released a funding package, and late Thursday Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) signaled that the legislation would move forward with approval from both chambers of Congress. The Senate has yet to vote on the measure.

“Today the House passed a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to responsibly fund the government next year,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a statement. "Despite threats from Senate Democrats and the president to shut down the government, sensibility prevailed and both parties came together to responsibly finish our end-of-the-year work as the people deserve.”

Separately, Senate Democrats are still considering a one-year extension of current Medicare physician payments in a payroll tax bill. The House passed its version earlier this week, which would provide a 1% increase in physician payments for 2012 and 2013, thereby averting a 27.4% cut that is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1.