Biden signs US$1.2 trillion funding Bill, ends shutdown threat

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden signed a US$1.2 trillion funding package that keeps the US government running till Sep 30, averting a partial shutdown.

The White House announced the signing on Saturday (Mar 23) after the US Senate approved the package in the early morning hours. That ended a partisan tug-of-war, marked by repeated infighting among Republicans over amendments. With a midnight deadline looming, Senate leaders beat back efforts by conservative Republicans to enact deep spending cuts and restrictions on migration.

Biden applauded passage of the funding package, but also prodded lawmakers to approve assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies that has been stalled for months, as well as a measure that would tighten security at the US-Mexico border. 

“I want to be clear: Congress’ work isn’t finished,” Biden said in a statement on Saturday.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s top civilian official said last week that Ukraine is “running out of ammunition”, echoing warnings by the country’s allies, including the US. 

The funding package increases defence appropriations by 3 per cent while keeping overall domestic spending flat. Temporary spending measures had funded the federal government for the first six months of the federal fiscal year.

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US Congress averts government shutdown, passing US$1.2 trillion bill

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Though the Senate session dragged past midnight, the White House said it was ending preparations for a shutdown. Federal agencies weren’t affected by the short lapse because “obligations of federal funds are incurred and tracked on a daily basis”, it said in a statement. 

“It wasn’t easy, but tonight our persistence has been worth it,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said as he announced a deal to end a Republican filibuster, clearing the way for the bill to pass the Senate on a 74-24 vote. 

The House had passed the bill 286 to 134, though a majority of Republicans voted against it.