U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 7, 2024.
Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters
President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $460 billion spending bill into law, averting a partial government shutdown that would have taken effect this weekend.
This partial budget deal covers funding for six major areas of government, which encompass military and veterans affairs departments, agriculture, commerce, justice, transportation, housing and urban development and energy.
On Friday evening, the Senate had voted 75 to 22 to approve the package after the House passed it earlier this week.
The agreement marks a step forward in the push to secure a permanent budget plan for the rest of the fiscal year, which started Oct. 1.The other six appropriations bills that keep the rest of the government funded are due to expire March 22.
This is the fourth time this fiscal year that Congress has had to pass a short-term spending bill to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown.
Democrats have been pushing for the continued full funding of a special food assistance program for women, infants and children. They also secured wins on rent assistance and pay for infrastructure employees like air traffic controllers and railway inspectors.
Meanwhile, Republicans also considered the first half of funding package as a win as they declared victories on veterans’ gun ownership and funding cuts to government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
— CNBC’s Rebecca Picciotto contributed reporting.
