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US President Joe Biden signed into law a long-awaited budget bill passed by Congress, keeping federal agencies open until September and avoiding a devastating partial government shutdown.
“The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open, invests in the American people, and strengthens our economy and national security,” Biden said in a statement on Saturday.
Senators missed a midnight deadline to enact a $1.2 trillion plan to keep the lights on in many major federal agencies but voted in the early hours to approve a resolution already passed by the House.
At the same time, Biden urged senators to approve increased national and border security money.
“Congress’s work is not done. Biden’s remark stated that the House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security goals. “And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest reforms in decades.”
A day of high-stakes Capitol Hill drama began Friday at noon when the House of Representatives cleared a $1.2 trillion, six-bill package that represents the largest and most contentious portion of federal funding.
With cash running out at midnight for three-quarters of the government, including defense and homeland security, the Senate was forced to rush against the clock to get the measure on Biden’s desk.
Budget negotiations appeared to be breaking down, with both sides attempting to adjust the legislation to reflect their campaign message and priorities ahead of the November presidential election when Biden would face former President Donald Trump.
Senators were set to adjourn without reaching an agreement on a vote, prompting the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to begin shutting back operations at critical federal agencies on Saturday morning.
But an agreement was reached just as the midnight deadline approached, and the Senate voted to approve the resolution.
