President gets votes for nuke curbs

WASHINGTON - President Obama locked up enough Senate Republican votes yesterday to ratify an arms-control treaty with Russia that would cap nuclear warheads for both former Cold War foes and restart on-site weapons inspections.

Eleven Republicans joined Democrats in a 67-28 proxy vote to wind up the debate and hold a final tally today. They broke ranks with the Senate's top two Republicans and were poised to give Obama a bipartisan win on his top foreign-policy priority.

Also last night, Congress cleared a stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government open into March, a temporary truce until Republicans and Obama rejoin the battle over the budget next year.

The measure would freeze agency budgets at current levels.