President Joe Biden on Friday signed a short-term spending bill that keeps the federal government operating until early March. The bill averts what would’ve been a partial government shutdown starting Saturday. It does not address additional aid for Ukraine, which remains in limbo as key legislators continue to negotiate a border security measure that would go in tandem with more support for Kyiv.
Quick Read
- Short-term Spending Bill Signed: President Joe Biden signed a short-term spending bill to keep the federal government operating until early March, thus avoiding a partial government shutdown.
- Ukraine Aid and Border Security Negotiations: The bill does not include additional aid for Ukraine. Discussions on border security measures, which are linked to further support for Kyiv, are still ongoing among key legislators.
- Bipartisan Congressional Approval: The bill was passed by Congress with significant bipartisan support, with a vote of 77-18 in the Senate and 314-108 in the House.
- Scope of the Bill: The funding provided by this bill covers various federal agencies, including agriculture, veterans affairs, energy, transportation, and housing, until March 1. Funding for the rest of the federal government extends through March 8.
- Purpose of the Bill: The bill aims to give lawmakers additional time to work on full-year spending bills that would extend through the fiscal year ending on September 30.
- Spending Level Disagreements: House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, is under pressure from House conservatives to reject a bipartisan agreement on overall spending levels set at $1.66 trillion for the full-year bills. Conservatives argue that the amount is excessive, while Democrats and moderate Republicans emphasize the need to adhere to the agreement to maintain legislative functionality, especially during an election year.
The Associated Press has the story:
President Joe Biden signs bill to avoid a partial government shutdown
Newslooks- (AP)
President Joe Biden on Friday signed a short-term spending bill that keeps the federal government operating until early March.
The bill averts what would’ve been a partial government shutdown starting Saturday. It does not address additional aid for Ukraine, which remains in limbo as key legislators continue to negotiate a border security measure that would go in tandem with more support for Kyiv.
Congress, ahead of the winter snowstorm that struck Washington, D.C., on Friday, passed the short-term bill with large bipartisan majorities on Thursday. The vote was 77-18 in the Senate and 314-108 in the House.
Under the bill, funding for agencies overseeing agriculture, veterans affairs, energy, transportation and housing runs through March 1. Funding for the rest of the federal government now runs through March 8. It’s meant to buy lawmakers extra time to draft full-year spending bills through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will continue to face pressure from House conservatives who want him to abandon a bipartisan agreement that sets overall spending levels for those full-year bills at $1.66 trillion. Those conservatives say that is too much money, but Democrats and moderate Republicans say Congress must abide by that deal and avoid legislative dysfunction during an election year.
