President Joe Biden signed a package of six government funding bills into law Saturday, a day after lawmakers raced to fund critical government departments and agencies through the remainder of the fiscal year.
The spending bills – backed by the top Democrats and Republicans in both chambers – represent a major breakthrough for lawmakers after months of using stopgap bills to avert shutdowns at the eleventh hour and a race to get the latest measure across the finish line ahead of the Friday night deadline.
The White House thanked top congressional lawmakers from both parties “for their leadership” in getting the bills to the president’s desk.
The Office of Management and Budget said late Friday that agencies would continue their normal operations and had ceased shutdown preparations after Congress finally passed updated funding legislation. But the work isn’t over yet: Lawmakers still need to finalize and pass a second slate of funding bills ahead of a March 22 deadline.
Democrats and Republicans have both claimed wins in the spending package, which includes funding for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development as well as the Food and Drug Administration, military construction and other federal programs.
The Senate passed the measure Friday evening in a 75-22 vote, after it had passed the House earlier in the week.
The package will support a wide array of programs and initiatives, including hiring new air traffic controllers and rail safety inspectors; medical care and benefits for veterans; and science, technology and research programs aimed at bolstering US economic competitiveness and competition specifically with China in fields including artificial intelligence.
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