House and Senate leaders are discussing the possibility of attaching the Wall Street bailout to legislation to fund the federal government through March, GOP and Democratic aides said Thursday.

Aides cautioned that no decisions have been made and that the situation remains fluid.

Because voting against a combination bill would result in a government shutdown, the idea of attaching the bailout bill to the continuing resolution is appealing to leaders, aides said.

Additionally, it would give Congress a way around the requirement that all spending legislation originate in the House: Since the CR has passed the House, the Senate could simply take up the CR, add the bailout language, return it to the House for an up-or-down vote and then send it to President Bush.