WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a temporary government spending bill that keeps agencies operating into December, after Congress made key spending decisions until after the November election.
The bill generally funds agencies at current levels through Dec. 20, raising the prospect of a government shutdown battle just before the holiday season. Lawmakers agreed to add $231 million to bolster the Secret Service following the two assassination attempts on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Money was also added to help with the presidential transition.
The measure easily passed Congress on Wednesday on a bipartisan basis, 341-82 in the House and 78-18 in the Senate, with Republicans casting all the no votes in both chambers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., billed the measure as doing “only what is absolutely necessary,” a statement aimed at members of his own conference who are concerned about spending levels. Johnson said the only alternative to the continuing resolution at this stage would have been a government shutdown.
The temporary measure was needed because Congress is nowhere near finishing work on the dozens of annual appropriations bills that fund much of the federal government. The House has passed five of the 12 bills, mostly along party lines. The Senate has passed zero.
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