President Barack Obama is applauding a bipartisan Senate vote to make it less expensive for college students to borrow money for classes, housing and books.
About 47 million Americans received food stamps last year, but only a relative few are required to work or look for a job as a condition of receiving the aid.
The House will consider legislation that would cut off funds for the National Security Agency's surveillance programs and imposes limits on the operations.
Republicans controlling a House committee have moved to eliminate funding for a Clinton-era program that helps local governments hire police officers, a step driven by deepening automatic spending cuts that official Washington appears unable to head off.