WASHINGTON – The House voted Thursday to put the government on autopilot for six months, precluding a shutdown through the election and postponing a potential showdown on GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's agency budget cuts until next spring when Republicans hope to hold more power in Washington.

Ryan returned to the Capitol from the campaign trail to vote for the half-year measure, even though it spends billions of dollars more than the Wisconsin lawmaker's budget plan, which has helped define the tight race for the White House.

The bipartisan 329-91 vote for the measure sends it to the Senate, which is expected to clear it next week for President Barack Obama's signature, capping a year of futility and gridlock despite a hard-fought budget deal last summer.