President Joe Biden signed a package of six funding bills on Saturday, ensuring that a portion of the government is funded through the end of September.
The Senate passed the bills on Friday night in a 75-22 vote, averting a potential partial government shutdown set for midnight, bringing lawmakers to the halfway point in their appropriations efforts for the 2024 budget year. The bills passed the House on Wednesday in a vote of 339-85.
The White House thanked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Reps. Kay Granger (R-TX) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) for their leadership in a press release.
“After months of hard work, we have good news for the country: Tonight the Senate has reached an agreement avoiding a shutdown on the first six funding bills,” Schumer said before the vote. “We will keep important programs funded for moms and kids, for veterans, for the environment, for housing, and so much more.”
“I want to thank our appropriators. You’ve done such a fine job,” he added.
The $467 billion package will fund a number of agencies through the fall, including Justice, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.
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The Democratic-led Senate passed the legislation mere hours before the shutdown took effect, avoiding amendments requested from Republicans, such as removing earmarks in the bills, which totaled more than 6,000 and would cost taxpayers more than $12 billion, according to Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL).
With the 1,050-page measure now signed, Congress will turn its focus toward passing the remaining six appropriations bills by March 22, funding the Department of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and others.
