The president signed the legislation on Saturday.
The House of Representatives finally passed a continuing late Friday, which the Senate quickly approved in the early morning hours on Saturday. The legislation was signed by President Joe Biden later that day, averting a government shutdown. Committed to passing the measure, Congress did not implement shutdown procedures during the hours that funding had expired.
The legislation will provide funding through March 14. It did not raise the debt ceiling, which will be met in the summer of next year. It does provide disaster aid for states that were devasted by the hurricanes in the fall. It also extends farm aid and nutritional programs.
House Speaker Mike Johnson responded to criticism that the measure did not reduce government spending, saying, “This was a necessary step to bridge the gap, to put us into that moment where we can put our fingerprints on the final decisions on spending.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For members of the House and Senate as they return home for Christmas after approving the spending measure.
- For President Biden and his family as they prepare to celebrate Christmas after he signed the bill.
- For President-elect Trump and his team as they prepare to take office in just under a month.
Sources: Reuters, Forbes, AP News
