Joe Biden signs $1.2 trillion government funding bill after congressional approval

President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending package on Saturday hours after Congress passed long-overdue legislation, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown.

“This deal represents a compromise that means neither side gets everything they want,” Biden said in a statement. “But it rejects the extreme cuts made by House Republicans and expands access to child care, Invest in cancer research, fund mental health and substance use “This is great news for the American people. “

Lawmakers are approaching the finish line for government funding just six months into the current budget year, with conservatives pushing for more policy authorizations and deeper spending cuts than either the Democratic-led Senate or the White House would consider, thus slowing down the process. The impasse requires several short-term spending bills to keep agencies funded.

The White House said Biden signed the bill at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he was spending the weekend. The Senate voted 74-24 to pass the bill at midnight, shortly after funding for the agencies expired.

But the White House issued a notice shortly after the deadline, announcing that the Office of Management and Budget had halted shutdown preparations amid high confidence that Congress would pass the bill and the Democratic president would sign it on Saturday.

The first full-year spending bill, which funds the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and Interior, among others, was approved by Congress two weeks ago, just hours before funding for those agencies expired. The second covers the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State, as well as other aspects of general government.

Combining the two programs would bring discretionary spending to about $1.66 trillion in the budget year. That doesn’t include programs like Social Security and Medicare, or plans to finance the country’s growing debt.

On Ukraine aid, Biden and his administration view aid as critical The plan provides $300 million in defense spending to deter a Russian invasion. The funding is separate from large aid packages for Ukraine and Israel that have become embattled on Capitol Hill.

In his statement, Biden again urged Congress to pass additional aid.

“The House must pass the bipartisan National Security Supplement Act to advance our national security interests. Congress must pass the Bipartisan Border Security Agreement—the toughest, fairest reform in decades—to ensure we have the tools to secure our border The policies and funding needed. It’s time to get this done.”

A bipartisan border package collapsed last month, after months of negotiations between Republican senators and Democrats over legislation aimed at reducing record numbers of illegal border crossings.

In an effort to win support from Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, pointed to part of the increase in spending to add about 8,000 detention beds for immigrants awaiting immigration proceedings or being deported. This is an increase of approximately 24% from current levels. Additionally, Republican leadership has emphasized the need for more funding to hire approximately 2,000 Border Patrol agents.

Democrats have touted adding $1 billion for Head Start and new child care centers for military families. They also announced an increase of $120 million for cancer research and $100 million for Alzheimer’s research.

The spending plan largely follows a May 2023 deal then-Calif. Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached with the White House that limited spending for two years and suspended the debt limit until January 2025. month so that the federal government can continue to pay its bills.

The chances of a short government shutdown appeared to increase Friday night after Republicans and Democrats debated proposed amendments to the bill. But shortly before midnight, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced a breakthrough.

“We reached this bipartisan agreement, and it’s a good thing for the country. It wasn’t easy, but our persistence was worth it tonight,” Schumer said.

The House passed the bill Friday morning by a vote of 286 to 134, narrowly achieving the two-thirds majority needed for approval.

The House vote count reflected Republican anger over the content of the package and the speed with which votes were cast. Johnson put the measure up for a vote, although most Republicans ultimately voted against it. He later said the bill “represents the best achievable outcome in divided government.”

In a sign of conservative frustration, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., launched a push to oust Johnson as the House began voting, but held off on further action until two weeks later return. It’s the same tool used to get rid of McCarthy last year.

A breakdown of the votes showed 101 Republicans voted in favor of the bill and 112 voted against it. Meanwhile, 185 Democrats voted in favor of the bill and 22 opposed.