WASHINGTON — After Congress passed a government financing package, President Joe Biden signed it on Saturday, thereby preventing a shutdown scenario.
The plan contains a one-year agriculture bill, $100 billion in disaster aid, and existing government funding through March 14. President-elect Donald Trump’s demand for an extension of the debt ceiling was not included.
Shortly after the House passed the spending package, the Senate cleared it overnight on Saturday. The House vote was 366-34, and the Senate vote was 85-11.
The law has been signed, according to a White House statement, although Biden has not yet officially commented on the news.
Biden backed the legislation that finally cleared Congress, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.
“While it does not include everything we sought, it includes disaster relief that the President requested for the communities recovering from the storm, eliminates the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires, and would ensure that the government can continue to operate at full capacity,” Jean-Pierre said in his statement on Friday.
The signing of the bill ends a tumultuous few days that started when Trump and his ally Elon Musk openly criticized the first bipartisan agreement, thereby destroying it.
Republicans in Congress quickly repeated the two men’s strong opposition to the pact.
Though it was not included in the final agreement, Trump also encouraged Republicans to either raise or remove the debt ceiling.
Trump threatened to hold primaries for Republicans who opposed his push to raise the debt ceiling earlier this week. However, the final bill was still overwhelmingly backed by Republicans.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!