Biden’s Bold Move: Temporary Solution Prevents Immediate Crisis

President Biden has enacted a temporary spending measure to prevent an imminent government shutdown, postponing the potential budget crisis until December.

At a Glance

President Biden signed a short-term spending bill to avert an immediate government shutdown.
The bill ensures another partisan fight in Congress during the lame-duck session in December.
The measure keeps federal funding flowing through Dec. 20.
Longer-term spending bills were stalled due to conservative demands.
The short-term bill includes $230 million for the Secret Service following assassination attempts on Trump.

Bipartisan Support for Temporary Spending Bill

President Biden signed a short-term spending bill to prevent an immediate government shutdown. The bill, which passed the House with a vote of 341-82 and the Senate 78-18, extends federal funding through December 20.

The House and Senate passed the continuing resolution with broad bipartisan support. Biden praised the legislation for giving lawmakers more time to work out their differences and set spending levels for the next year. The bill aims to ensure key services for national defense, veterans, senior citizens, children, and disaster-stricken communities continue without interruption.

President Biden signs a stopgap bill funding the government until December, averting a shutdown before the November election. https://t.co/mnf5xf7C6V

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 26, 2024

Conservative Provisions and Partisan Disputes

Longer-term spending bills were stalled due to conservative demands for a voter registration proof of citizenship provision, which Democrats opposed. House Speaker Mike Johnson faced criticism from conservatives but argued that the agreement allowed for individual bills rather than an omnibus package. Biden urged Republicans to act on a Senate-passed measure on foreign aid, which the temporary spending bill excluded.

“There will be no government shutdown,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader said at a news conference after the bill’s passage. “Because of bipartisan cooperation, we are keeping the government open without any poison pills or harmful cuts to vital programs — a great outcome for the American people.”

President Biden signs temporary funding bill that avoids government shutdown https://t.co/b2AaPAoknX

— KSDK News (@ksdknews) September 26, 2024

Funding Provisions and Future Deadlines

The short-term bill includes $230 million in additional funding for the Secret Service following two failed assassination attempts on Trump. However, the measure excludes military assistance or aid to Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. Democrats and many Republicans insisted on including financial support for Ukraine in future bills. The new funding deadlines are March 8 and March 22 for half of the spending bills, according to the broader bipartisan spending deal that includes six of the 12 spending bills for federal agencies.

“My administration will work with Congress to ensure these bills deliver for America’s national defense, veterans, seniors, children, and working families and address urgent needs for the American people, including communities recovering from disasters,” Biden wrote.

New House Speaker Mike Johnson is working on a longer-term spending agreement and has been pushing stand-alone bills in the House. Yet, Johnson’s attempt to bring the Labor-HHS-Education bill to the floor was blocked by hard-line Republicans. Still, the bill includes $16 billion in emergency disaster assistance and extends authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration through the end of the year.