United States President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill that would fund the government for an extended period of time as part of efforts to avert a government shutdown.
The development comes after the Senate approved the bill, known as the bipartisan National Security Supplemental, with overwhelming support. The Democrat's latest act would provide additional resources for various departments, including Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, House and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Justice, and others through Mar. 8.
Biden Signs Stopgap Funding Bill
In a statement, the president said that the latest bipartisan agreement prevents a damaging government shutdown and would give Congress more time to work toward full-year funding bills. He said that this was good news for the American people but argued that it was only a short-term fix and not a long-term solution.
Biden said that in the days to follow, Congress must do its job and work on passing full-year funding bills that would deliver for the people of the United States. He also said that House Republicans must act on the measure that he said would pass the House if it was brought to a vote, as per The Hill.
The new bill includes millions of dollars in aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's ongoing invasion as well as money for Israel and Indo-Pacific allies. On Thursday, senators voted to approve the government funding measure just a few hours after the House voted overwhelmingly to pass the bill 320-99.
Now, lawmakers will have until Mar. 22 to finish wrapping up the fiscal 2024 funding for the Pentagon, the legislative branch, and foreign operations. This would include the Departments of Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, State, and Homeland Security.
While officials have argued that they already have a deal on the six appropriations bills that are due next week, disagreements remain on the half-dozen measures. They include more controversial pieces of legislation that would fund agencies such as the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security.
Averting a Government Shutdown
Congressional leaders earlier this week announced an agreement on six appropriation bills and argued that the package of full-year bills will be enacted before Mar. 8. The development comes as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has been facing mounting pressure from his far-right colleagues to fight for conservative wins in the government funding battle, according to CNN.
In a statement on Thursday, Johnson said that the appropriations process is "ugly," adding that Democracy is "ugly." He said that this is the way that it works every single year but noted that there were innovations this time around.
The speaker also defended his handling of the spending talks during a meeting with GOP House members on Thursday. He supposedly said that he was forced into a position to cut the deal because Republican divisions had already prevented the House from approving a procedural step, known as a rule, along party lines.
The situation comes roughly two months since Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed on a $1.59 trillion discretionary spending level for the fiscal year. In a bipartisan vote earlier this month, the Senate also passed the $95 billion national security bill, said Reuters.
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