President Biden on Saturday signed Congress’ short-term government funding extension, officially averting a partial shutdown after a week of high drama.
The funding extension cleared the Senate after midnight Friday by a vote of 85-11, just before the government entered into preparations for the shutdown.
The legislation similarly cruised through the House Friday night after a week of uncertainty as to whether House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, would be able to hammer out a new deal after his initial plan was thwarted by President-elect Donald Trump and incoming government efficiency adviser Elon Musk.
“The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open and delivers the urgently needed disaster relief that I requested for recovering communities as well as the funds needed to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” Mr. Biden said in a statement.
The package he signed will provide $100 billion in disaster relief to those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, offer a one-year extension to the farm bill and provide $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers.
It also punts the government funding fight to March 14, well into Mr. Trump’s first 100 days. It doesn’t include the president-elect’s demand to suspend, or terminate, the federal government’s debt limit.
“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” Mr. Biden said. “But it rejects the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires that Republicans sought, and it ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity.”
The chaos throughout the week as Mr. Johnson sought to salvage a deal that could pass through both chambers could be a glimpse of what’s to come under the Trump administration, particularly with the handshake agreement to deal with the debt limit in the reconciliation process early next year.
