WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden signed a massive government funding bill Saturday, allaying concerns about a partial shutdown.
A White House statement announcing Biden's signing of the bill issued a statement to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of Congress on this issue. He expressed his gratitude for his leadership.
The Senate on Friday passed a funding bill 75-22 to keep numerous government agencies afloat through September. The 1,050-page bill is a compilation of six spending bills negotiated by Schumer, Johnson, Biden and top appropriators from both parties and the House. It comes after leaders split federal funds into two packages that provide funding to the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Agriculture, Transportation and many other government departments.
It passed the House on Wednesday by a vote of 339-85.
The Democratic-led Senate approved the bill after some delays caused by Republican amendment requests, and legislative leaders voted to allow votes on several Republican-sponsored bills before passing the bill. did.
“After months of hard work, this is good news for this country. Tonight, the Senate reached an agreement that avoids the shutdown of the first six funding bills,” Schumer said before the vote. “We will continue to fund critical programs for mothers and children, veterans, the environment, housing and more.”
“I'd like to thank our appropriators. You've done a really great job,” he said.
Senate leaders faced a difficult balance with Republican demands for amendments on immigration and other items. If the amendments are introduced and passed, the bill would be sent back to the House and a government shutdown would all but be guaranteed. Instead, they struck a deal on the timing of the vote to keep the bill in place.
Next funding deadline: March 22nd
There is still a lot of hard work ahead. The remaining six spending bills, which include contentious issues such as how to fund the Department of Defense and Homeland Security, are due in just two weeks on March 22. Negotiators have not yet reached an agreement on how to resolve the issue. There aren't many laws written to do that.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top House Democratic appropriator, said the remaining six bills “are being worked on by staff on both sides of the aisle, in both chambers, and are in various stages of negotiation.” ”
“We worked hard to get these things done,” DeLauro said. “I'm optimistic about achieving the next six.”
Johnson said the bill passed Friday includes wins for conservatives, including cuts to the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He said Republicans achieved that with “divided government and a historically small House majority.”
Among the package's accomplishments, Democrats have highlighted funding for WIC, a program that provides food assistance to women, infants, and children.
