White House urges Congress to abandon riders, fund government

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday called on Congress to quickly pass legislation to fund the federal government, saying proposed riders would undermine Wall Street reform, carbon curbs for power plants, and Obamacare health insurance law. "Congressional Republicans are whistling past the political graveyard of a government shutdown," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a briefing. "We are hopeful that in the nine days that remain for members of Congress to do their job, that Republicans will abandon this effort to lard up the bill with ideological riders," he added. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton, Jeff Mason and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chris Reese)